Breaking Point
by Samurai Smee
Summary: SasuNaru. After returning to the village, Sasuke is having to adjust to a new life with his old comrades. However, his task is met with more hardship as he learns that his arrival is just another breaking point for his oldest rival. Yaoi and fluff!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Breaking Point

_  
"Until your rapture falls to pieces / Find in me the room to breathe / Simple things like suffering."_ - Hurt

Chapter One

_**Sasuke's POV**_

"Uchiha Sasuke…"Lady Tsunade said with a thoughtful yet exasperated sigh as she kept her amber-colored eyes lowered to the many, scattered documents that she was currently sifting through, "listed as an S-ranked criminal and immediate threat to the Leaf ever since defecting from the village at the age of twelve."

I stood as still as a marble statue as the Fifth Hokage read my less-than-savory information aloud, purposefully to me, and I could not help but swallow the spit that had collected in my mouth upon hearing her scrutinizing, meticulous tone – like she was calculating some kind of conclusion about me without even looking at me.

It was unnerving and I chose to continue to say nothing, figuring that it would probably be better for us both if I just stayed silent and listened to whatever she had to say to me.

"However, you single-handedly took down both Orochimaru and Uchiha Itachi, two long-standing enemies of Konoha as well, and that…"Lady Tsunade continued as she lifted her head up from her forms and bore her serious, honey eyes right into my jet black ones; her tone seeming to become more praiseful and solid versus how icy and interrogative it had been before, "…is not something I can just simply overlook."

I swallowed again – this time, due to the glimmer of fresh, tingling hope that was sizzling through me.

I blinked my onyx eyes at her patiently, my mouth uncomfortably dry, however, as she propped her green-clad elbows on top of her desk and interlaced her red-painted fingers – her keen eyes unwavering and appearing to be all-knowing as she continued to peer into my face, my soul before speaking.

"If you are going to be a part of this village again, there are going to be some hefty provisions that shall need to be met without question, is that clear?" her shrill and somewhat raspy voice suddenly boomed at me as she almost begrudgingly made up her mind and said what she had to me.

My lips parted from sheer, incomprehensible surprise before I forced myself to state evenly, "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"First, seeing as how you had never even been officially recognized as a chuunin, you are not to go on any missions of any kind until I specifically say that you can," she began pointedly, already making my stomach feel a bit jittery and my palms sweat from having so much happiness and raw emotion kept in such unforgiving check.

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" I replied, a pleased smirk desperately pulling at my lips as I concentrated on her words that practically served to grant me a new life.

"Second, for the first week that you are here, I am going to have Anbu black ops follow you at all times," Tsunade went on; now dropping her hands into her lap where I suspected her pet pig was currently napping.

"Yes, I understand," I replied automatically, my chest continuing to swell up with so much blissful relief, I thought I was going to explode any moment.

"Lastly, until you can find a place of your own, you are to stay with Hatake Kakashi, where you will be required to follow his every word. I will be giving him direct orders to report anything he even suspects is unusual while you are there, as well as full authority to restrain you or defend himself by any means necessary should you feel like breaking any of these rules. Is that understood?" Lady Tsunade finished, her eyes narrowing at me as she sort of frowned in an annoyed, tired way.

I could not have been happier.

I really was being given a second chance, and I honestly did not mind and could actually agree with my requirements in order to have it.

I would have done anything to be rid of my darkness that I had been a prisoner of for so long…and finally have a home again.

I needed to see some warmth in this world…and now was my opportunity at last.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. Thank you," I answered, genuinely meaning my gratitude to the wise, old woman sitting behind her messy desk before me.

Lady Tsunade took a deep breath before regaining my steady, dark gaze; a thin, blonde eyebrow quirking up at me in the process.

"You don't need to thank me, Sasuke," she said calmly, solemnly; as if she was no longer speaking to me as the Hokage, but as a friend; "just don't let me down."

X

Thirty-three minutes later…

"Sorry I'm late; you wouldn't believe the traffic…"a familiar voice suddenly sounded as Hatake Kakashi entered the Hokage's scroll-littered but otherwise tidy office – his one, visible eyes closed and smiling while one of his fingerless-gloved hands rubbed bashfully at the back of his head.

"Can it, Kakashi," Lady Tsunade growled impatiently as she watched the notoriously tardy jounin stroll up to her desk and right next to me; putting the idea in my head that he had already been briefed about my return to the village since he displayed no kind of shock or surprise about my presence.

"Long time, no see, Sasuke," Kakashi light-heartedly greeted me as he clearly took in how I was now just a few inches shorter than him and was still clothed in the apparel that I had gotten when I was with Orochimaru in the Village Hidden in the Sound.

His features were so kind to me and I felted humbled that my former sensei would still choose to be so casual and friendly with me, a traitor to the people he cared about most, as he stood right next to me and smiled…almost like nothing had ever happened at all.

I could not help but give him a small smile back, in appreciate for his gesture.

"Yeah, it's been a while," I replied a little sheepishly to him, though I still felt comforted by his familiar, easy-going presence and nature at such a trying time for me.

"Kakashi, I believe you have been given all the details about what I expect from you," Tsunade addressed the silver-haired jounin as she leaned back in her chair and eyed the pair of us, "then I'll leave you to it, then. Oh, and Sasuke…"

I was just about to turn around and take my first step towards my brand new start in life, but quickly stilled upon hearing her call my name and said, "Yes?"

"You talk to Kakashi or me if you have any problems," she ordered with such weight in her words that her sense of finality about the matter almost made me flinch, "Got it?"

"Got it," I repeated loyally, still feeling a little shaken and more than puzzled as to why she would blatantly limit the number of people whom I could confide any alleged problems to.

However, my mind hardly dwelled on the question for long, because, before my over-exerted senses could fully register what was happening, I was suddenly bathed in bright, brilliant sunlight with Kakashi at my side and already walking out ahead as we both left the Hokage Tower…and I began to try to live again.

I took only the briefest of moments, but I had closed my eyes and inhaled deeply the soothing, nostalgic scent of the Leaf Village, before rushing up to Kakashi's side; my former sensei's nose buried in between two pages of a green-bound book as he walked effortlessly down the dirt pathways where only a few other people were keeping to themselves as they passed us by.

My mind was itching to say something; anything; to the collected jounin at my side who was currently taking me to his place as per his orders to basically baby-sit me…I knew I needed to say something.

Show gratitude, ask him how he has been doing, inquire about the book he's reading, ask if…

"You're not going to cause a lot of trouble for me, are you?" Kakashi suddenly drawled out to me as we walked, his tone hinting more at being humorous than the much more serious prospect of me trying to kill him in his sleep or something.

I rolled my eyes at him already treating me like a nuisance before saying smartly, "I don't know; probably…"

At my comment, I watched as Kakashi warmly looked over to me from his book and smirked knowingly, affectionately.

Feeling better about communicating with him, now that he and I had just shared our first joke in years, I asked, "So, how's Naruto?"

Kakashi visibly hesitated before answering, his thumb expertly turning a page in his book while he considered my seemingly simple question.

"Well, you see…hmm…" Kakashi struggled in his low voice, which completely threw me off as I kept my eyes glued to my masked caretaker as he obviously searched for the right words to say to me, "Naruto's been…a little different lately. He's well, but he's…been acting strange."

"Strange…? What do you mean?" I asked, concerned and confused about what my former sensei was telling me as we rounded a corner on the right and approached one of the many multi-colored apartment complexes that lined the road.

My thin, dark eyebrows were knitted together questioningly as I followed Kakashi up the short flight of steps until we reached the door to his apartment – a gloved hand diving into his pocket to retrieve his keys as I heard him sigh thoughtfully, possibly even remorsefully.

"There's no easy way to tell you this, so I'm just going to say it," Kakashi began as he turned to face me directly before we entered his place; his mostly-covered face serious and stern as he matched my worried gaze with his own, "Naruto has been diagnosed with severe depression ever since he, Sai, Sakura, and Yamato located you in Orochimaru's lair three years ago. Gradually, his symptoms seemed to get worse; starting with him not smiling as much as he used to, and recently, he barely talks to us anymore. Six months ago, we had him undergo a number of psychological tests and he was hospitalized as a result."

Kakashi opened his now unlocked door and promptly entered his apartment ahead of me, but, for a while, all I could do was just stare at the empty space where my old teacher had been previously standing – all my thoughts flip-flopping from being in complete, chaotic disarray and then going to a total, blank stand-still.

Hospitalized…depression…?

Naruto?!

Ever since our last encounter when he was with that odd team of his…when I had coldly answered his questions concerning our bonds and why I had chosen to spare him that day…that was when Naruto started to be like this…?

It was entirely my fault.

I did this to him.

Naruto was no longer smiling anymore…because of me.

I swallowed my heart back down my throat as I directed my gaze to the opened doorway to my left and lethargically walked through it.

Such weight was pressing down on me shoulders; stifling me, crushing me; and all I could do was bear it as I took off my black shoes on the hardwood flooring by the door before closing it softly.

To my immediate left, I could hear Kakashi rummaging around in his kitchen, as a faucet was audibly turned on and a few pots and pans were clanked in the process, and a small part of me snapped back to reality; making me want to continue speaking with the Copy Ninja and hopefully learn more about my old rival…my best friend.

Kakashi's apartment was just as I remembered it, as the cozy abode was perimetered in stark white walls where only a few pictures of contrasting black kanji were displayed, and the space furnished with his quaint living room to my right, kitchen to the left, and bed and bathrooms down the hallways directly out ahead of me.

Kakashi's living room contained a tasteful white-grey sofa and loveseat, small, wooden coffee table in the middle, and a matching wood grain entertainment center against the wall - everything kept very bright and inviting by the light colors that went well with the soft, beige carpeting.

However, knowing that Kakashi was probably in the middle of making us something to eat, I made a left so I could help my caretaker as I entered his kitchen by walking around the connected snack-bar that served to enclose the pristine, white kitchen with honey-colored cabinetry and trim, off from the rest of the apartment.

"Um…need any help?" I asked, my usual self-confidence having been thoroughly shaken by Kakashi's earlier revelation to me; making my words unsure and unsteady as I spoke.

Kakashi already had a black, metal pot of plain, white rice cooking on top of his stove, along with a smaller pot of miso soup that he was currently stirring and swirling around the generous portions of tofu and seaweed that he had added.

"No, no, I'm fine here. Why don't you go change back in the bedroom? I'm sure you'll be able to find something that'll fit," he chimed positively to me as I eyed his wooden cooking spoon stirring our soup and almost felt disappointed that he did not want my help.

I guess, it was just going to have to take some time before people starting trusting me again – all of which I could understand…but, it was still hard for me.

"Alright, I'll do that," I responded quietly before stepping away from Kakashi and heading down the short corridor where the spare bathroom was on the left and the master bedroom was further ahead on the right.

I switched on the lights once I entered Kakashi's bedroom and my eyes immediately fell on a certain something…something that made my chest give an uncomfortable jolt.

Without giving the action a second thought, I rushed across the room and over to the green-blanketed bed where I dropped a knee down onto the soft mattress so I could lean over the head of the bed and pick up…our picture.

Team Seven…the picture we all shared…

Sinking down on the bed so I sat properly on the edge with my legs draped over the side, I held the framed photograph in both of my hands and just blinked slowly at our younger faces – Kakashi-sensei's worried face, my frowning one, Sakura's squealing one, and…Naruto.

He looked so angry at me at the time…but I knew why.

I smiled sadly before breathing heavily out of my nose – my current guilt grinding me down too thoroughly for me to cry right now, so I only gazed nostalgically at the old photograph in my hands.

Sluggishly, my coal-colored eyes trailed away from such memories and just scanned over random things in Kakashi's bedroom before I collected the picture in my left hand and replaced it back on the wooden shelf with a small 'clack.'

Out of habit, I briefly ran a hand through my silken, black spikes before standing up from my spot, and then padding over to Kakashi's opened closet – rows of black, three-quarters sleeved shirts and pants lined up neatly, perfectly before me.

I specifically chose what appeared to be Kakashi's oldest set of clothes, hoping that they might fit me better than any of his newer ones, and tossed the garments on the bed; ready to get out of the ominous, unfortunate clothes I had on.

As my fingers automatically untied the large, purple rope from around my waist; letting the heavy article fall to the floor, I could not help but cast my gaze towards the familiar picture once again – my face somber as I peered at it from across the room.

My white, wide-sleeved shirt practically fell off of me once my rope was undone, and I could not help but murmured aloud, to the captured younger versions of my old team, "Naruto…what's wrong with you?"

Upon receiving no answer from the inanimate object, I sighed once more and picked up the chosen, laid out shirt from the bed; easily slipping it on; and was already a little displeased that the incomplete sleeves failed to fully hide the thick, black lines of the summoning tattoos on my forearms.

Lastly, I tugged down my large, bunched-up black pants until I could kick the article of clothing off my legs, and deftly pulled on the traditional pants that almost all chuunin and jounin ninja wore in Konoha – my calves remaining momentarily free of cloth wrappings since I was not to go out on missions yet anyway.

Feeling a lot more comfortable and rejuvenated from my new attire; me being overall satisfied with how well Kakashi's older clothes actually did fit me as he had suspected; I delivered one last pull to the bottom hem of my shirt to stretch out any wrinkles there may have been, before bending down and scooping up all of my discarded items.

My every intention was to burn my old clothes the next day, so I plopped the heap of black, white, and purple on top of the nearby chair that sat next to Kakashi's small work desk.

My task completed, I quickly thumbed the light switch off before striding down the hallway to approach Kakashi in the kitchen once more – the salty, crisp smell of baked fish wafting into my nose the further I went.

"Oh good; I was just about to get you," Kakashi informed me as I watched him retrieve a pan from the over, snapping the door shut at once, and then placing our sizzling, lightly seasoned fish onto the top – nicely sized portions of rice and fresh-cut broccoli already divided up onto two ceramic, white plates.

"Go ahead and sit down, Sasuke," Kakashi chimed again; the sound of his voice making me realize that I had only been staring and not doing anything else the whole time I watched my former mentor move about his kitchen so efficiently.

I quickly spotted the closest, cushioned barstool that faced inside the kitchen, swung my leg around the tall, wooden fixture, and shifted my weight for a second to get more comfortable – my mouth all but watering from all the delicious, tantalizing aromas being emitted from the food as I watched from behind while Kakashi set some steaming fish onto our plates before picking one up in each hand.

"Thank you for doing all this for me…and, not just the food, I mean," I expressed quietly, solemnly; knowing that the older man would catch onto my deeper meaning right away – my former sensei pausing briefly in his movements as he brought our plates over to the bar.

After recovering from his initial shock that, no doubt, came from hearing me actually thank someone for something, Kakashi gingerly set a plate of piping hot food in front of me before saying, "Don't mention it."

I sort of gave him an odd, lop-sided grin from one side of my mouth; practically clueless as to what else I should do in this situation; as Kakashi sat down on the opposite barstool, the one that was technically still in the kitchen and faced me.

Kakashi then put his hands together, as if in prayer, and I hurried to follow suit by practically smacking my hands together as well – both of us saying a quick 'itadakimasu' before picking up our chopsticks to begin eating.

Kakashi's actions were definitely a little faster and certain than my own and I could not help but just eye what he was doing before I did anything, almost as if to see if it was okay that I should really be sitting here across the table from him as we were.

Dropping my gaze, my eyes were fixated on my plate and the little brown cup of miso soup to the left of it; seemingly entranced by all the colors and textures of my healthy dinner; as my mental and physical exhaustions were quickly catching back up to me…now that the adrenaline had worn off and I was finally settled down, just sitting peacefully like this.

I felt like I could drift off to sleep any moment…

"You're not eating," Kakashi suddenly said, his baritone voice its usual low and even tone as he observed me, "Is everything alright?"

At this, I whipped my head up and locked eyes with my former mentor, my mind already formulating hurried, bashful apologies to say…until…

"You…you're…you're…"I stammered mindlessly, wide-eyed and blatantly gaping at my silver-haired jounin caretaker while he only casually chewed his food and watched my befuddled reactions occur uncaringly.

"What?" Kakashi asked me earnestly, clearly not understanding why I was so shocked to see his whole face for the first time - an all-consuming goal from back in my youth.

"Your mask is gone!" I practically shouted as I could not pry my eyes away from his surprisingly normal and subtly handsome face, where there were no hideous marks or abnormalities as one might start to speculate – just simple, pleasant features.

"Oh…right," Kakashi chuckled at me as he picked at another glob of rice to catch with his chopsticks, "I can't wear it all the time, you know."

"Yeah…"I agreed, blinking finally and calming down as I let myself get used to looking at Kakashi's real face and mentally regarded this night as marking one of the greatest mysteries in my life now solved.

My own, ridiculous thoughts made me chuckle softly as I ate some of my lemon-zested fish and broccoli at last - the flavor light and fresh while the texture was gloriously soft that it practically just melted in my mouth while I savored the hot, gracious meal.

"What's so funny, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, seeming to be delighted that I was both eating the food that he had made for us, as well as because I was snickering good-naturedly out of nowhere in his abode.

"I just remembered…"I said with a smile, swallowing another mouthful of fish and rice, "…this one time that Sakura, Naruto, and I all tried to catch you without your mask on. We failed so many times."

By the time I had finished speaking, both of us were laughing whole-heartedly together, filling Kakashi's humble apartment with bouts and bouts of carefree, jovial laughter – one man's laughter just spurning the other to continue right along with him.

It was so nice; I had not laughed like that in years and it was then… that I really felt like a new man.

After our bellowing laughter had died down to a few, stray chuckles, Kakashi and I continued eating our meal; the atmosphere feeling massively different; lighter and definitely more relaxed; and it was not long before I cleaned my plate and had drained all of my soup.

"I guess you were hungry after all," Kakashi teased as I stood up from my barstool, took hold of my plate, and assumed the task of rinsing it before putting it in the kitchen sink so it could be washed – my eyes rolling pseudo-indignantly as a smirk also curved my lips…because he was right.

Stepping around the bar and entering the kitchen as Kakashi also turned around with his empty plate, I quickly turned on the faucet and held my heavy plate under the hot tap; my aura turning a bit more serious as a few thoughts struck me…thoughts that I had to voice in the form of questions to my former sensei.

"Kakashi, when can I see Naruto?" I asked as he stood at my side and rinsed his plate as well, feeling that I really did need to ask something like that of someone, almost like I was seeking official permission so I could know without a shadow of a doubt that I was not going to screw anything up.

"Well, I do know that Naruto will be at the memorial stone tomorrow…"Kakashi left out in the open, his tone hinting to me that that was probably my best bet…but I still needed to know one other thing.

I grimaced a bit before I spoke what was on my mind, the words not easy for me to say and acknowledge.

"Should I really even…try to see him?" I asked, my unsure and hesitated words giving away how downtrodden and worried I was about such a sensitive topic – me being thoroughly uncertain as to how I should even go about existing alongside Naruto…now that I knew what he has been going through on my account.

How would he react to me after all this time?

Would he receive me well…or not?

Did I even deserve a warm reception from him in the first place?

I sighed and dropped my gaze to the simple, tiled floor – Kakashi still watching me calmly before finally answering and acknowledging my inner turmoil.

Suddenly, Kakashi raised an arm towards my slightly slumped shoulders and used his forearm to roughly push the back of head towards his green-vested chest, forcing me to take an unsteady step forward until my face was comfortably pressed up against the thick, durable fabric – Kakashi wrapping his strong arm around my spiky, raven head and securely holding me to him.

"Who knows? But…you won't know until you try. And, if it makes any difference, I believe…that it'll be good for the both of you," Kakashi said gravely but kindly to me as he continued to hug my head to his chest with his one arm; his somber, positive words immediately putting me at ease as I relaxed against his comforting embrace and felt my previous confusion pleasantly melt away from my mind.

"Thanks…Kakashi-sensei," I murmured into his vest, knowing that he would hear my muffled words anyway, and specifically, catch onto how I addressed him as my sensei again.

I did not have to see his face, masked or otherwise, to know that Kakashi was grinning affectionately from my purposefully nostalgic and meaningful words to him; the meaning behind them being how there were still things that I wanted to learn from him and truly depended on him for; and that he had softened his gaze down at me as a result.

"No problem, kid," Kakashi commented in that low, raspy voice of his as he gave me one last squeeze before dropping his arm from around my head, effectively letting me go from his almost 'big brother' hold on me.

Not knowing how to receive and respond to so much positive reinforcement and treatment, I awkwardly shifted my gaze away from him and just off to a visible section of the nearby corridor, as I said, "Tomorrow, then. I'll definitely see him tomorrow at the training grounds. Um, but, before that…where am I going to sleep tonight?"

I was almost desperate to change the subject as just talking about the fiery, blonde knuckle-head ninja was pulling viciously at my chest and making my heart ache in an unfamiliar, terrifying sort of way.

"Oh, that's right; I suppose you do need somewhere to sleep, don't you?" Kakashi regarded me almost childishly as he considered my rather fair question for a moment before adding, "I guess I should let you have my bed and I'll take the couch…"

"I can sleep on the couch; it's no big deal, "I practically cut him off as soon as I realized that he was attempting to make another generous accommodation to me being here in his place again, my very soul starting to feel bad the more I thought about how far out of his way Kakashi was going for me, "…I'm smaller than you, anyways."

"Fair enough," Kakashi agreed, obviously not about to argue with me about him sleeping on his own bed as he half-smirked at me, "I'll get you some blankets."

And with that, Kakashi padded out of the kitchen and down the hallway to go into his bedroom to collect some things for me; my air being heavily breathed out through my mouth as soon as he was gone as I let myself feel a bit of relief that I had gotten my way and not allowed him to show me anymore undeserved hospitality tonight.

I licked the front of my teeth, my mind incessantly contemplating the next day's events, before I switched off the kitchen light; the living room being darkened as well since it was so close; and then walked out of the dim, tiled room and over to the aforementioned couch a little ways ahead.

The night was still young, but I knew that I needed some rest; my body practically screaming at me to do so; in light of how I, over the passed few days, had traveled tirelessly until I reached the Leaf Village, been interrogated and examined thoroughly upon entering Konoha, had to wait for a meeting with the Hokage, and now was being put up at Hatake Kakashi's residence.

It all had happened so fast, one event occurring right after the other, with seemingly no time in between as this past week to me had all felt like one, gigantic period of time through which to bear and strategize.

With a blissfully full stomach and without truly realizing it, I had already lain down on the couch and closed my eyes; the large, overstuffed, grey pillows at my curled back while I remained lying on my side with my head nestled comfortably on top of one the impossibly soft seat cushions – the whole couch cradling my long, lean but exhausted form as I felt my breathing even out on its own and incredible, rejuvenating sleep quickly approach me…making me feel amazingly relaxed and boneless as I let sleep take me inside her beautiful arms at last.

"Here, Sasuke, I got you some…"Kakashi started to call out before his words stopped immediately upon seeing me already tranquilly asleep on his couch, curled up with my hands up by my head, "…blankets."

The last of his statement had been whispered to me, amusedly and clearly touched at the view in front of him, before Kakashi soundlessly maneuvered to my resting side and gingerly draped one of his large, cotton-soft blankets on top of me; the other folded blanket he had gotten was placed on the back of the couch for me to use if I needed it – the infamous Copy Ninja looking warmly down at my peaceful, unconscious form before also whispering a quick 'good night.'

X

_How would Naruto react to me after all this time?_

_Would he receive me well…or not?_

_Did I even deserve a warm reception from him?_

These thoughts and more just like it; all of them about me finally seeing Naruto the next day, after so much turbulent, stressful time had passed for us both; swirled mercilessly inside my head as I slept, forming incomprehensible dreams that I would not remember…all as I genuinely mentally feared how our meeting would go.

I could already see Naruto's brilliant blue eyes, eyes always so full of hope and courage that had long since haunted my dreams and thoughts while I trained under Orochimaru, glaring furiously down at me…right before he was to kill me.

Maybe this time; if it was what he truly wanted…I would let him.

Would he smile then?

My body did not stir in the least as I slept soundly and deeply on Kakashi's couch for the remainder of the night - my unconscious thoughts, however were those that could easily drive even the most stable-minded person to their wits' end and question their own sanity as they were only met with treacherous scenarios, relentless questions, and no kind of answers.

Answers would only come as soon as I woke up and finally sought out the one who was disturbing my sleep, my thoughts...my heart.

X

_Author's Note:_ Ack, I'm doing it again – writing a Naruto fic and stuff. XD Drop me a line, if you please, and let me know what you think, yeah? Thanks a million, everyone!


	2. Chapter 2

"_I can see stars align / into the future / all of our deepest fears gone / There is no chance at life / far from__ the sunlight /Oh, this world will shine on /You and I will shine on…"_ - Filo and Peri

Chapter Two

_**Sasuke's POV**_

As the early, murky grey sky started to gradually give way to a brilliant orange and pink as the very beginnings of a fresh, warm morning battled and edged the somber night away, I gingerly opened my eyes.

I sniffed in a bit of air as I moved my tongue around the inside of my uncomfortably dry mouth and then lightly cleared my throat – my coal-black eyes blinking lazily up at the barely-illuminated, patterned white ceiling as I just lay on my back on Kakashi's plump but soft couch for a moment more.

Groaning low in my throat, I forced my legs to swing over the side of the light grey couch, making me sit on the furniture properly now, as I pulled a rather large, cotton-stuffed blanket off of me in the process.

Dropping my head low, I raise my hands to my hair and quickly raked my fingers through my naturally unruly black spikes a few times in a hopeless and half-hearted attempt to make my hair not look like a total mess. Lowering my hands from my head, I lifted my weary gaze up and tiredly surveyed the unlit living room where only streams of bright, incongruent sunlight were strewn about in the simple room from the blinds on the window to my left.

Out in front of me; beyond the small wooden coffee table that I would kick if I stretched out my legs too far; was Kakashi's entertainment center, where loudly-colored books and a reasonable collection of movies were stacked in the few, open spaces, next to a television set and speakers that occupied the middle.

I eyed all of the equipment and things indifferently, just noticing it all in this different setting of 'the next morning' as I licked the roof of my mouth again; deciding that that was the first thing I needed to take care of right away – my inability to produce spit.

Mind made up, I pushed myself up from the couch and stalked across the living room, passed the snack-bar, and went straight into the kitchen; not bothering to turn on any lights since I could still see just fine around the house as it were.

Stepping to the sink, I sluggishly opened one of the honey-hued cabinets up by my head and deftly retrieved one of the clear, plain glasses that were.

The rest of the apartment was so serene and silent in this early morning hour and I felt at complete peace as I stayed quiet, not having to say anything to anyone, and turned on the cold water from the faucet, filling my glass.

I brought the glass the my lips with one hand, already feeling a certain degree of subtle satisfaction as I gulped down the cool, vital liquid, while skillfully turning off the water with my other hand.

Finishing the water, which left me a little out of breath, I set the empty glass down on the counter with a soft 'clink' and then casually exited the kitchen; walking briskly but soundlessly down the shadowed corridor until I reached Kakashi's bedroom – an idea already zinging through my now fully-awake mind as to what I knew I needed to do.

Thankfully, Kakashi's bedroom door was already slightly ajar, allowing me to only push it open a tiny bit more before I stealthily slipped inside the tranquil, darkened room.

Observing my former, powerful and mysterious sensei sleeping as he was now; lying face down and tangled in his green, shuriken-patterned blanket with his arms and legs sprawled out every which way; I wanted to burst out in laughter, but quickly held that feeling back by squeezing my lips tightly together while I tip-toed to his desk chair and grabbed up all my old clothes from the other day.

Arms full of my white, black, and purple attire from Sound Country, I gave my chaotically snoozing teacher one last, amused look before dashing out of the room and closing his door quietly behind me.

Keeping a hurried, almost excited pace through Kakashi's apartment, I soon opened the front door and stepped outside, just onto the outer walkway where I could see the stairwell on my right and other residents' doors lining the wall down my left.

I breathed the crisp, dampened morning air deeply into my lungs, the sun only getting higher and higher in the sky; bringing out more warm, lovely color with which to paint the world; as I peered from my spot, over the wooden railing, and towards the Leaf Village.

I felt like I had woken up before anyone else in the whole village of Konoha, and now I was able to see her come to life right before my eyes.

Suddenly, right when I was about to take another small step forward onto the concrete walkway, I heard a noise.

It was a rustling in the trees; far too loud for any mere bird to accomplish; and my gaze snapped forward once again, darting to my left and right so I may locate the source.

A little off to my left, standing to his full height with no kind of attempt to hide from me, was an Anbu black ops…just watching my every move intently…as he had been ordered to do.

I knew there were more around; I just could not see them.

Slower now, in order to demonstrate to my elite ninja watcher, that I was not up to anything careless, I took a careful step forward and calmly dropped down to one knee; the bundle of heavy clothes in my arms getting placed on the cool, concrete surface as I kept my face sort of turned towards the Anbu so he knew that I knew he was there.

Knowing that I would be taking a great chance by doing this, I brought my hands together and closed my eyes, quickly and efficiently making a number of hand signs that ended in horse, boar, and tiger with only my first two fingers and thumbs on both of my hands pointing up.

I could hear that Anbu black ops in the tree off to my far left take out a weapon, the barely-audible rustle of the thick, sturdy fabric of his back pouch giving it away to me as he was obviously quite alarmed that I was performing a Fire Ball Jutsu right in front of him.

However, knowing that this would through my watcher off entirely, I only took a tiny, shallow breath before releasing a much, much smaller version of the notorious and deadly fire style jutsu – the little ball of flames spewing from my lips engulfing the clothes I had set on the walkway and far away from anything else.

I swear I could almost hear that Anbu let out a sigh in relief, as I only made my attire from the Village Hidden in the Sound burn into a pile of blackened, pathetic ashes; never to be seen or worn again.

My personal task finished, I stood up from my kneeling position; my eyes never leaving my onlooker as I did so, as I cautiously turned my back on him so I may open the door to the apartment again and walk inside, feeling rather pleased with myself and a bit anxious to tell Kakashi about what I had just done.

I mindfully closed the door behind me, looked up, and was met with the sight of Kakashi tiredly looking at me from the barstool on the outside of the snack-bar where he sat a little slumped-over with his directionally-challenged silver hair matted and pointing everywhere in an impressive but startling display.

I thought my morning hair was bad…

"Did you finish burning your old clothes?" Kakashi asked straight away in a droopy, sleepy sort of voice as he eyed me with a half-lidded, uncaring gaze.

I frowned and had to stop myself from rolling my eyes, feeling a bit perturbed that Kakashi had known all along what I was up to, thereby ruining my chance of telling him about it for the first time.

"When did you know?" I answered his question with another question, feeling a little found-out as well as highly amused, as if this was some kind of game between us, while I strode up to my sitting, slouched caretaker.

"Hmm…about the time when you woke me up by sneaking into my room," Kakashi replied smartly as he only eyed my tiredly; his mask pulled down around his chin at the moment while we talked.

"Some ninja I make…" I mused sarcastically with a roll of my eyes and a shift of my weight as I now stood next to him.

"You have your moments," Kakashi added jokingly, still in that dull, low voice of his as he got up from his seat and stepped around the bar and into his well-illuminated kitchen.

"Shut up," I said around a small smirk as I sat down on the barstool Kakashi had just gotten up from; watching my former mentor lazily pry open his refrigerator and duck down low so he may be eye-level with his food.

"Ugh…I don't know what I want yet…" Kakashi grumbled pathetically into his refrigerator, despite retrieving a few items that he immediately brought to the counter to his right – his back still to me, obscuring my view of what he was doing.

"But, I know that need to get going soon, so I'm going to make this quick," he concluded as I only heard the clanking of a plate being set onto the counter as well, next to the things that he must have gotten for me.

I quirked up an eyebrow at my older caretaker, not exactly knowing what he was up to as I only had to wait a short moment more before Kakashi turned around – one hand holding a green and white plate of sliced tomatoes while his other hand held my glass of some kind of purplish-blue juice.

"Can't have you getting fat on me now; you already tip-toe like a charging animal," Kakashi jabbed playfully with a rarely-seen, good-natured smile on his exposed face as he set the items down on the bar in front of me.

"You're such an ass…but, thanks," I commented as I began picking up the thick, juicy slices of tomato and devouring them in earnest; my heart a little touched that Kakashi still remembered something as trivial as my favorite food after all this time.

As soon as I had finished my tomatoes, I picked up the glass and just eyed the oddly-colored, unrecognizable liquid inside; not sure what to do in such a situation.

Obviously catching onto my moment of hesitation, Kakashi suddenly chimed, "It's this blueberry, pomegranate energy drink; very high in protein and tastes pretty good. Try it."

After casting a bit of a glare to my former sensei, I lifted the glass to my lips and took the tiniest sip of the surprisingly thick, sweet liquid; moving the drink around inside my mouth at first to decide if I wanted to swallow it or not.

I swallowed.

"This is really good," I admitted to the gleaming, pleased jounin before tipping back the glass and downing all of the rich juice in just a few gulps.

My healthy but tasteful breakfast over, I excused myself politely before heading down the corridor and entering the spare bathroom that was located on the left.

My jet black eyes took in the simply-decorated but appealing bathroom, as the walls were painted a soothing blue-grey, trimmed in white, and were complimented with blue and yellow towels that added warm accents to the small room.

I habitually sucked on my teeth as I stepped passed the large mirror and sink on my right and pushed aside the clouded glass door to the shower – just taking a curious look inside the area in which I was to bathe before actually doing so.

The adequately-sized, white porcelain tub was spotless as the surrounding blue-grey and white tiles were equally sparkling clean – a few, colorful bottles of product were placed here and there along the corners of the tub as well.

Satisfied and also feeling a great amount of relief that Kakashi took such good care of his abode, I quickly pulled my three-quarter sleeved shirt up over my head, tossed it to the floor, and then slid out of my black pants and boxers; creating a little, dark pile of my clothes on top of the pristine, white floor.

Realizing that I did, in fact, need to make this as fast as possible, I deftly turned on the hot and cold water; the hot more so than the cold so I was guaranteed a warmer temperature of water at the very least; before stepping into the shower and closing the sliding glass door behind me.

Under the blissfully warm spray of water that rained down over me in the most stress-reducing of ways, I sighed in remarkable relaxation and appreciation; something I had not genuinely felt in a long time; as I tipped my head back and raised my hands to pull through my hair.

Keeping my eyes closed as I just relished in the natural peace that a much-needed shower can induce in a person, I let the glorious water thoroughly soak my raven-black hair, making my spikes drop and hang loosely around my face from the added weight, before slightly cracking open an eye so I could seize one of the bottles from my right.

Quickly gathering a generous amount of the light green, sweet-smelling gel from the darker green shampoo bottle, I brought my hands to my head again and scrubbed the tea and lavender-scented soap into my hair, filling my head with light, translucent bubbles that ran down my back and shoulders in the process.

I rinsed the massive amounts of soap from my body, angling my head back under the downpour of water, as I already reached for another smaller and much more slender bottle of body wash – this one being a dark blue and giving off the aroma of fresh mint.

After collecting some of the lighter-smelling liquid in my hands and replacing the bottle where I had found it, I began working the soap all over my long, pale, but tattooed arms; certain thoughts and questions beginning to creep into my relaxed, serene mind.

"_What should I even say to Naruto?"_ I thought glumly to myself as I moved my hands to my chest and continued to meticulously wash my body as hard or soft as I pleased.

"_I can't just ask him how he's been doing…since I know that he has not been well,"_ I continued to mentally reprimand myself as I scrubbed my face rather roughly, _"…or maybe I should ask him, just to see if he'd lie to me about it."_

"Dammit," I said aloud to no one as I placed both of my palms flat against the cool tiles of the shower wall before me, leaning my weight on my arms and taking most of it off my legs as I let the water completely run over me and pleasantly rinse away all of the soap I had amassed – thoughts about the usually cheerful and positive kitsune tearing viciously at my conscious as I began to feel a bit nervous about meeting him.

I sighed again before reaching down and turning off the water, leaving me to drip freely in the tub and feel a slight chill from not being underneath a constant rain of warm water anymore.

Ignoring the cold, I pushed open the shower door, seeing how I had filled the humble bathroom with powdery white steam, before I reached over to my right to hastily retrieve one of the large, impossibly soft blue towels from the wicker rack fastened to the wall.

Carefully, I stepped out of the shower while I threw the towel over my head and began drying my hair; my head dropped low; and it was then that I saw something by the door.

My eyes trying to see the item through the thick steam, I removed the towel from my head and efficiently wrapped it around my waist as I took a few steps towards it.

Folded neatly in a perfect bundle on the floor right next to the door was another pair of black pants, and a plain, black T-shirt for me to wear.

I frowned at the items before smirking slightly, knowing that Kakashi had put them there on purpose to prove to me that he could enter a room that I was in without me knowing, before scooping the pile into my arms so I could oblige my caretaker and change into them.

Only a few but frantic minutes later, after I had hurriedly dressed in the clothes that Kakashi had given me, brushed my teeth, and dried my unruly, raven hair a bit more, I promptly exited the bathroom feeling completely refreshed, renewed, and ready to finally get outside and breathe in that crisp, invigorating air at last.

I briskly strode down the corridor, intending to go straight to the front door where my shoes were, but slowed down my pace until I stopped completely in the living room on account of hearing my jounin caretaker suddenly call out to me, "Whoa…hang on a sec."

"What is it?" I asked, still feeling the need to move, to rush, to hurry no matter what until I was face-to-face with my blonde-haired rival and most dedicated friend.

"Alright, you know there are Anbu black ops out there that are going to keep track of you," Kakashi started in a rather serious, parental voice to me as he kept his mismatched eyes staring straight into my own, "so don't do anything crazy."

The last of his statement to me was more like a humorous plea to me and I could not help but sigh theatrically as I licked my lips in mock-annoyance.

"I know, I know," I answered pseudo-haughtily as I slowly turned back around so I may go to the tiled area by the door to put on my toeless, heel-less black shoes that I had also, unfortunately, gotten from Sound Country.

"And Sasuke…"Kakashi continued to my back as I pulled on my shoes and then stood up to my full height, ready to open the door and take my leave to finally see Naruto, "be easy with him."

This made me snap my attention back to my silver-haired caretaker in an instant, my eyes wide with confusion as my chest also received a rather violent stabbing sensation from my old teacher's words to me.

"I will," I assured him solidly, meaning it in full that I would, in fact, be completely mindful of Naruto's current condition while still keeping the unknown a well-aware prospect within me as to not upset him any more than I already have.

"Good," Kakashi concluded with a nod of his head as he watched me just about exit his apartment, "…and be back in time for dinner. Bye now!"

I frowned at the jounin's strict orders, words that I knew I had to follow regardless of how well or otherwise they suited me, before stepping passed the opened doorway and back onto the concrete walkway on the other side.

"Training grounds…training grounds…" I said quietly to myself as a sort of verbal, mental-jogger of where it was that I needed to go, before turning to my right and heading down the wooden stairs that lead all the way down to the ground – my highly-trained senses still overly aware of how my appearance has, once again, set my Anbu watchers on the move as well.

Nonetheless, upon reaching the dirt road where people were casually coming and going at their own, individually paces all around me, I delivered a light scratch to my right ear as I eyed my surroundings and tried to figure out which way I needed to go.

I mused at the thought of asking one of my Anbu black ops people for directions, but I had way too much pride to ever do that, so I started down one of the many ways my environment presented me with – my more rationale side informing me that the training grounds were more towards the western and eastern areas of the whole village and that I was now close to the northern most territory, judging by the short amount of time it had taken Kakashi and I to arrive at his apartment from the Hokage Tower.

Senses and bearings in order, I hurried west, sort of remembering that that was where the memorial stone was located, as I passed shop after shop, person after person; all completely ignorant of who I was and what my life had been like up until now.

I preferred it that way, though.

I did not want anyone else to know about the terrible things I had done in order to get to this point.

The less they all looked at me, the better.

As I walked the appropriate paths, half of me feeling lonesome and the other half feeling grateful that I was by myself, I could hear the trees rustle above me even though there was no wind currently blowing, as my Anbu watchers were quick to keep up with me and observe my every move as I navigated around the village.

I did not mind, however, because, as Kakashi had so eloquently put it, I was not planning on doing anything particular crazy.

Let them follow; it was only for the rest of the week, anyway.

Within no time, I was entering the aforementioned training grounds, the sunlight bright and inviting above me as it made minute, white spots against the thick, green foliage of the lush, natural area that was kept separate from the residential sections of the village and I immediately felt the need to shove my hands inside my pockets…possibly as a way to make myself look slightly more humble before I saw Naruto.

Just out ahead of me, I could already see the unmistakable orange and black of Naruto's obnoxiously vivid clothing as the kitsune was, after all, just staring down at the large, blue-black memorial stone that had hundreds and hundreds of fallen shinobi names etched into its sides to be remembered and commemorated forever.

I swallowed hard at the disheartening, troubling sight.

My stomach was relentlessly curling in horribly tight knots as I kept my hands deep inside my pants pockets, my eyes never leaving his tall but slightly slouched form, and further approached the quiet, unmoving blonde-haired man, not bothering to mask or hide my chakra signature in any way as I figured that Naruto would know of my presence sooner or later.

My theory was proven right, for once I got about fifty feet away from the solemn fox, he raised his head up from observing the large, jagged stone and slowly turned towards me – his lovely, vibrant blue eyes widening drastically as his lips parted in silent shock as he gazed at my form from over his right shoulder.

"Hey…Naruto," I said as gently and warmly as I could, despite how burdening his puzzled and almost worried stare was proving to be to me at the moment.

The wind blew passed us in a brief but unforgiving gust that tussled the trees and let loose of few of their small, green leaves; making my partially damp hair whip across my face but I did not move a muscle as I continued to observe how Naruto's evident startle gradually gave way to a look of downtrodden bitterness.

His hair had definitely gotten longer since the last time I had seen him as I was sure that his spiky blonde bangs would fall into his eyes if not for the long, black headband that held his hair back and out of his face.

He had dropped my gaze as he favored to instead look off to the bottom right as his eyebrows knitted together in probable confusion; his full, luscious lips coming together in a small frown before he said quietly, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," I replied honestly, not daring to take another step considering how miserable Naruto looked, like he was ready to cry any moment as he talked with me.

It was killing me, seeing him like this…like it brought him physical pain to be with me.

"Don't give me that crap!" Naruto spat back, red-hot anger starting to contort his strong, tanned features as he now faced me directly despite our short distance apart – his fists tightly balled up at his sides as I could only maintain his heated gaze that seemed to positively tear through me, "Why are you even here…in the Leaf Village?"

"Naruto," I began a bit unsteadily, unsure as to how I should answer his direct but vindictive question; his venomous words said through gritted teeth being completely detrimental to my earlier optimism of having this go smoothly with my oldest and greatest friend, "I'm back…"

I had intended to say more to the fiery kitsune, but before I knew it, I was being roughly shoved backwards about three feet until my back collided painfully with the solid, rough trunk of a tree – one of Naruto's hands clutching the front of my black shirt in an iron grip as his other hand held a kunai dangerously close to my throat.

Upon slamming back into the tree, my hands had flown out of my pockets; two Anbu black ops dropping down to the forest floor from the trees in response to our sudden commotion, ready to probably execute me if necessary; but my eyes were only fixated on the furious look on Naruto's face as he pressed his forearm a little harder against my collarbone.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now…Sasuke," Naruto growled out at me in a voice that I almost did not recognize right away, making my already aching chest swell and hurt a little more at Naruto's purposefully callous words and expression towards me.

"I'm sorry…"I said quietly to the fox as I sadly closed my eyes; my words meaning both that I was sorry that I did not have a real answer for him, as well as how sorry I was for everything that had happened between us, all of the problems I had caused for him, all of his pain that he was showing me now.

Upon hearing my solemn, heavy-hearted apology, Naruto sighed softly as his expression relaxed into that of his earlier melancholy, his anger seeming to melt away even though he still kept me at bay with the edge of his kunai and his body painstakingly close to mine.

"Kiss me," Naruto whispered after a moment; his words making me instantly open my eyes and look dumbfounded at the completely serious and collected blonde in front of me – his eyes practically serving as a dare to me as I was riddled with unbelievable shock.

"Huh?" I asked less than intelligently, still taken aback by Naruto's sudden demand that I could have sworn that I had heard wrong, as his ocean-blue eyes bore intently into my onyx orbs, reading my every reaction and expression before speaking to me again.

"Kiss me…or I will kill you," Naruto clarified quietly but sternly, his grip tightening on the kunai he kept relentlessly pressed to my throat as a way to emphasize the seriousness of his proposal.

My gaze softened at the kitsune, my breath coming out easier as I could not help but feel moved by Naruto's sincerity about having me kiss him, as I slowly lifted up my tattooed arms and gently brought my hands to either side of his tanned, whiskered face – my every fiber perfectly content with complying with Naruto's ultimatum.

I felt Naruto's body momentarily still underneath my fingertips that I kept on his smooth, soft cheeks as I mindfully leaned forward and slipped my eyes closed; his very soul seeming to relax the more I just barely held onto him and brought us closer together.

Delicately, as if I was holding Naruto's very, beating heart in my hands, I gingerly pressed just the tips of my petal-soft lips to Naruto's own waiting mouth; the kitsune subtly leaning into my careful touches as I placed the softest kiss to his supple, velvety lips.

Gracefully, I let the pads of my fingertips trail down Naruto's jaw until I removed them completely while I slowly, lingeringly pulling my lips away from his; his breath audibly catching in his throat upon me doing so, as if he was completely amazed that I could demonstrate such bittersweet tenderness with him or any human being after all.

Angling my head back so I could look upon him once more, I was a little surprised to see that Naruto still had his eyes closed, but his eyebrows were scrunched together as he had pulled his bottom lip in between his teeth – his expression that of intense, mental contemplation or strife.

"Naruto…?" I muttered, wanting to touch him again, to comfort him, to finally know what was wrong with him, but not having the audacity as I could almost taste his anxiety in the thick, heated air between us.

"I really…really hate you," Naruto whispered lowly, obviously avoiding my gaze at all costs as he violently tore himself away from me; effectively letting me go from being pinned up against the tree; as he tucked his kunai back inside his long, black sleeve and started to walk away from me.

My heart sank and all I could do was watch him walk further and further away; his words still ringing inside my ears over and over again.

I sighed, feeling totally defeated, lousy, and perplexed about what had just happened, as I dropped my shoulders a bit and unconsciously licked my tingling lips.

My Anbu entourage was still present, but none of them had moved from where they had descended earlier, but, honestly, my attention was on anything but them at the moment as my brain had currently stopped functioning as I was only filled with soul-breaking despair and a morbid feeling of dejection – like any hope whatsoever that I had had of living a better, happier life had walked away right along with Naruto.

I sighed again and decided that I was going to hurry back to Kakashi's apartment versus taking my time walking through town.

X

"Oh! You're back already? How did it go?" Kakashi asked me from the living room as he was busy writing out a mission report as there were ink wells, brushes, and a small stack of paper littering his little, wooden coffee table in front of him.

Still feeling overly glum about the whole situation between Naruto and me, I wordlessly took of my shoes before walking right passed my caretaker and going straight into his bedroom, closing the door behind me.

Once inside Kakashi's room, I left the lights off as I immediately flopped down on the large, blanketed bed; burying my face in one of the soft, feather-stuffed pillows while my arms were spread out wide at my sides.

"_Why did it have to go like that?"_ I mentally brooded as I sighed into Kakashi's pillow and waited for him to come see what was wrong with me, like I knew he would eventually.

_Knock. Knock._

"Sasuke?" Kakashi asked as he cracked open the door and just peeked inside to see if I was still alive or not.

Again, I did not answer my caretaker's question, as I just continued to lay flat on my stomach, unmoving, on top of his bed; depressed and hopelessly clueless about what to do and what to make of Naruto's words and actions towards me.

"I see that it did not go well…?"Kakashi prodded politely as he entered the sunlight-illuminated bedroom and did not bother to close the door behind him as he approached me.

"No…"I finally answered, my single word being entirely muffled by the pillow that was currently smashed against my face.

"Ah, well…"Kakashi continued as he mindfully sat down next to my lying form, making just the one side of the bed dip down under his weight, "Naruto…just needs some time."

I sighed upon hearing such a patience-requiring answer before gradually feeling my every nerve and muscle relax immeasurably as I felt Kakashi place his hand on top of my head and softly, comfortingly ruffle my hair.

I breathed easier until I slowly pushed myself up from my lying position, turning over so I could see my caretaker as we spoke now that I had calmed down substantially.

"He hates me, Kakashi," I confessed as I looked off to the left and towards Kakashi's work desk and chair, just eyeing the furniture as if it had some secret to tell me, "…I don't think just time is going to fix that."

"Naruto doesn't hate you," Kakashi replied back sharply but sympathetically, his words making me finally regain his gaze as I directed my eyes up at his masked face questioningly, pleadingly.

"But he told me he does," I argued miserably, just asking Kakashi to try to reason out of that logic as I kept my hopeful eyes on him as I waited for his answer.

"Naruto doesn't hate you;" Kakashi reaffirmed, his words infinitely patient and kind to me as he kept his one, visible eye trained unwaveringly on my face; genuinely making my previous grief and feelings of rejection start to fade away with how sincere he was being with me, "I know this for a fact. None of us...ever hated you, Sasuke; not for a minute. You know, I'll tell you something…something I've never told anyone…"

"What is it?" I asked; my curiosity shamelessly getting the better of me as Kakashi was clearly willing to reveal something about his mysterious past to me…a treasure I could not pass up on as I recognized that everyone in Konoha, more or less, was interested in the infamous Copy Ninja's secrets.

"I also know what it's like to lose a father that you look up to and respect," Kakashi began gravely as his gaze had lessened in intensity at me but grown exponentially in understanding and significance as I listened and measured his words heavily in my heart and mind, "and…I guess that I had always hoped that I could fill that void for you since I've always thought of you…like a son."

I blinked up at the silver-haired jounin from my complicated, irreversible past and immediately brought my hands up to my cheeks to hurriedly wipe away the tears that I had been unknowingly crying silently while I had listened to him.

Within the blink of an eye, I sat up and threw my arms around Kakashi's shoulders, squeezing my older caretaker tightly, as I felt him loosely wrap his arms around me as well to return my embrace – my muddled mind desperately trying to form coherent thoughts as I was impossibly overwhelmed with unspeakable gratitude…a certain of gratefulness that I never knew existed.

"You are just like me when I was a kid, you know that?" Kakashi chuckled nostalgically from over my shoulder as he gave my back a few, good pats; just like a father would to his grown son that he had not seen in a long time; which resulted in me hugging him even tighter in the process, "So, try to cheer up, okay?"

I gulped down the lump that had formed in my throat before finally replying to Kakashi's heart-felt words, words that already encouraged me and wrapped around me just like his arms as I felt like crying all over again.

"Thank you, Kakashi," I said quietly, wanting to say something else, something profound with more weight and hidden meaning but not entirely knowing what that could possibly be, "I can't thank you enough."

"You're welcome," Kakashi said firmly as he took my shoulders in his hands and gently pulled me back some so he may look me fully in the face as he continued, "Feel better now?"

I nodded a few times before verbalizing, "Yeah…thanks."

Kakashi waved off my thanks in good faith before standing up from the bed and saying," That's what I'm here for."

I quickly seized the opportunity to rub at my eyes and nose a little more now that I was not looking Kakashi right in the face anymore as he was making his way towards the door to obviously leave me alone and let me have my space for the time being.

"Wait!" I called out, making him turn not all the way around and tilt his silver-spiked head back towards my sitting form, "So…what do I do about Naruto?"

"Hmm…"Kakashi pretended to ponder as he brought his thumb and forefinger to his clothed chin before making his visible eye smile warmly, familiarly at me, "Naruto still likes ramen…"

And with that, Kakashi left the dimly-lit but peacefully quiet room, shutting the door behind him and leaving me to digest his words and everything that was said between us.

"_Of course!"_ I thought at once, already formulating a solid plan of action to execute with the kitsune as per my caretaker's…my surrogate father's specifically chosen words of advice to me, _"I'll take him out to ramen. There's no way he'd refuse, knowing him._ _How long should I wait, though? …maybe just a few days…to give him some time to forget about what happened today."_

Sound plan in mind which made me feel even better, taking away what was left of my previous stress, I waited a second longer before standing up from the bed; stretching my lean, taut muscles out at once; before sucking in bit of air that made my chest slightly puff out.

"It's perfect," I said aloud to myself about my plan, having to restrain myself from smiling too broadly in unabashed triumph and anticipation of the next, few days, before I strode to the door to Kakashi's bedroom and confidently walked out to seek out my respected and gracious caretaker once more.

"_I think, I'll make dinner this time,"_ I thought affectionately as I continued to smile to myself as I could not stop from recalling what Kakashi had said to me, something that had made my pride swell with a such a warm, loving, and accepted feeling that I had long since forgotten.

It was truly wonderful...having a family again.

X

_Author's Note_: Oh man, please don't kill me, people. XD Hopefully some of you actually liked it and will drop me a line, yes? Many thanks and my kindest regards!


	3. Chapter 3

"_Don't push me away from you / I've got to behave / I do, I do 'cause I want this to stay with you / I don't know what I'm going to do / …I'm going to try to do everything I can / everything I can. "_- Ron Reeser and Dan Saenz

Chapter Three

_**Sasuke's POV**_

Two days later…

"Oh, whatever," I regarded the silver-haired jounin at my left shoulder as I narrowed my midnight-colored eyes at him as I haughtily cocked my head over in his direction, "there is no way that's true. I'm not listening to what you say anymore."

"Believe what you like, but I'm telling you the truth, Sasuke," Kakashi replied back with a sneer in his voice as he handed me another dish to dry before I placed it in the appropriate cabinet above.

Both of us standing side-by-side with our long, blue sleeves rolled up to our elbows to avoid the water and soap, Kakashi and I had set up a process where he would quickly wash the dishes and I would dry them and then put them where they belonged.

Fast; efficient; simple.

With me living here with him, dishes just seemed to pile up in the sink by the minute, but I did not mind helping him wash them so we would have clean utensils and things to use at all times.

Besides, it was in these mundane, highly-routine moments around the house that Kakashi and I could really joke around with each other and let loose.

It was almost therapeutic, washing the dishes with Kakashi by my side.

"So, you're telling me that the missions that I will get assigned are going to be C and D-ranked missions since I never actually made chuunin?!" I reiterated Kakashi's words back to him in the form of a crescendo-ed question to further emphasize my disbelief and utter horror at the degrading prospect.

"Yep, I wouldn't put it past her," Kakashi replied, referring to the Fifth Hokage who did have a rather notorious reputation of doing whatever she saw fit with the ninja at her disposal, no matter what the stakes.

…like letting my extraordinary, hard-earned skills go to waste.

"Ugh…"I groaned dramatically as I continued to dry another small, white bowl with the white and red-striped towel in my hand before lifting it up and carefully setting it inside the opened cabinet a little to my right.

"Don't sweat it, kid;" Kakashi attempted to soothe my pseudo-frustration about me being subject to pointless, never-ending tasks to accomplish just around the village, "it'll be good for you to get back into the swing of things here."

"Easy for you to say;" I quipped with a sharp tongue and an even sharper glare at my former sensei, "you won't be the one picking up trash in the river."

At this, Kakashi chuckled as I softly snorted at my own joking, brooding comment even though I was actually not bothered in the least about the seemingly unfortunate or upsetting circumstances to which we were referring.

If cleaning up some river meant that I could say in this village without chains and chakra seals on me, then I would do it a thousand times over.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Shit, he's here already?" I briefly panicked to the one person who would ever see me panic as I hastily abandoned my task at the sink so I could pull the sleeves back down my arms, my eyes having widened a fraction bit more since Kakashi and I were expecting him to arrive a little later than this.

"Alright, alright, just hold your horses…" Kakashi said calmly as he dried off his hands with another small towel from the counter before stepping passed me at the bar so he could answer his door and receive his guest.

_Knock. Knock._

"Hello, Naruto," Kakashi said warmly to the blonde kitsune as his visible, black eye smiled kindly at him as he opened the door for him, "would you like to come in?"

"Um…no thank you. I just came by to give this back to you like you asked," Naruto replied as he reached out his hand and offered a purple-backed scroll to Kakashi who obviously recognized it and took it obligingly from his student.

"Ah, yes; I forgot you had this," Kakashi smiled again, possibly lying as his every word was purposefully careful and every bit as sweet as strawberry candy while he looked over the young man at his door, "Why don't you come on it after all and I'll make us some tea. I insist."

I watched from the bar as Kakashi stepped out of the doorway so Naruto may enter his apartment – my nerves tingling uncontrollably throughout my systems, causing me to bring a hand nervously to the side of my neck and deliver a light scratch to the sensitive flesh there, just so I had something to do.

"_What do I do? I feel like an idiot just standing here…"_I mentally berated myself, not knowing what I should say to the fiery kitsune as he made his way inside the apartment after taking off his shoes and was just about to pass me up before…

"Hi, Sasuke," he said as he timidly lowered his gaze for only a second before quickly returning his lovely blue eyes to mine, as if he needed to hurry and see what my reaction was to his shy greeting before I had time to change it.

I could have breathed out a huge sigh of relief; my brief bout of mental discord having disappeared from me the instant Naruto spoke first; as I smiled appreciatively at the adorably hopeful but slightly unsure fox and replied, "Hi, Naruto."

Hearing me accept and return his greeting, Naruto seemed to perk up a little more as he held my gaze with more confidence and assurance about himself as he smiled at me as well.

"You two sit down; I'll bring the tea," Kakashi offered from inside his kitchen as he started to bring some water to a boil over his stove and retrieved some small cups for us all to use.

Silently obeying our sensei's words, Naruto and I walked to the living just out ahead of us; the kitsune sitting on the couch while I sat down after him on the loveseat to his right.

"So, how's it been living here with Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked politely; probably genuinely curious about how our newly-established living arrangements were fairing, "Where do you even sleep?"

"You're sitting on it," I mused good-naturedly as well as truthfully as I barely had to consider his first question since I already knew that these past few days with the usually masked jounin had been extremely fulfilling, "but other than that, I can't complain. We were doing the dishes when you got here."

Immediately, Naruto brightened up even more as he held my gaze comfortably from the couch and widened his inspiring, addicting smile at me; like watching the sun rise up from the darkest, most dismal place on earth and illuminate everything around it with relentless, cleansing light and purity.

I relaxed even more in his presence, just watching him smile in amusement from what I had said to him.

"So, what was that scroll about; the one you gave back to Kakashi just now?" I asked so I could keep our light but calming conversation going and hopefully have him continue to smile at me like he was.

"Oh, that," Naruto remembered as his smile sort of dropped as a more of his self-conscious started to show as he lifted a hand and brought to his face to scratch lightly, possibly bashfully at his cheek, "I've been trying to read more about wind-natured chakra and stuff…you know, so I can get better at it."

"Oh," I said, a little surprised as well as impressed that that was Naruto's answer after all, "I see."

He was actually taking such a difficult subject seriously and studying up on it?!

Naruto never ceased to surprise me…but I, of all people, should have recognized straight away that once Naruto sets his mind on something, he does not ever stop trying to obtain it.

Feeling the silence trying to creep back on us again, despite the various noises Kakashi was making while he did this and that in his kitchen to prepare our tea, I practically blurted out, "What do you say we get some ramen?"

If I had thought that Naruto had perked up before, I was surely mistaken; as I watched the fox's bright blue eyes widen in complete disbelief and shock before he stammered cutely, "You…you mean it! You really want to treat me to ramen?!"

Seeing him act in such an impossibly endearing way about had my heart melted and a puddle on the floor as I smiled coolly at him once more and replied rather mindlessly, "Yeah…yeah I do."

I honestly could not recall the last time Naruto had reacted like that towards me…and it felt so good to see it again, though.

Suddenly, I turned my head towards the kitchen from my spot on the loveseat and called out to my caretaker, "Kakashi, we're going to skip the tea and go out for something to eat."

"Well, alright…"Kakashi said, seemingly a little disappointed that his tea was only for himself now as Naruto and I were already standing up from our seats and making our way to the door to leave.

I had just finished slipping my shoes on; Naruto already waiting for me; when Kakashi quickly whipped around the snack-bar to face me and demanded sternly," Sasuke…rules."

I frowned at my sometimes overbearing caretaker as I had a short staring contest with the older man before sighing softly in defeat.

"Don't stay out too late;" I echoed Kakashi's own words that were meant to be my regulations while staying with him, with a stubborn roll of my eyes and a tone in my voice that could peel paint of walls, "and don't do anything crazy."

"And…? There's one more…" Kakashi prodded with his visible eye narrowing dangerously at me as he urged me to say aloud his last and final rule for me.

"I'm not saying it," I proclaimed indignantly as I could already tell that Naruto was enjoying this little exchange between his sensei and me as he watched my back intently while it continued.

"Say it or you're not going out," Kakashi added to the mix almost cheerfully, instantly making me pout and huff my air at him again.

My right eyebrow twitched and I pursed my lips upon hearing Kakashi's little threat to me.

"…and don't leave the village again," I grumbled out compliantly as I avoided his pleased, smiling gaze that just burned me up sometimes.

"Very good," Kakashi congratulated me, as if I were a child, for correctly identifying all of his rather obnoxious rules for all to hear, "Take care, you two!"

"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei" Naruto replied as he opened the door and took a step outside, "I'll see you later!"

"Bye," I regarded my gleaming, waving caretaker with a bit of an lop-sided smirk and quirk of an eyebrow as I followed Naruto out and closed the door behind me – my eyes locked with Kakashi's until I fully closed the door in regards to our secret, knowing 'conversation' about how this was my chance to try to be on better terms with the blonde.

Never one to pass up speaking his mind to anyone, Naruto was grinning like mad at me as we strode through the peaceful village side-by-side, as he said, "Man, I didn't know when it'd be when me and you could walk through Konoha like this. I guess I took a lot of stuff for granted back when we were kids, huh?"

"Naruto…"I said aimlessly as I could only watch the honest kitsune confess something so retrospective and powerful to me – my face displaying that of my controlled shock before I turned my gaze out directly in front of me again.

A limited number of villagers were still active along the pathways we took as they hurried to close their shops or see to their last customers; evening rapidly approaching and casting inky shadows on the ground while letting the warm afternoon sky cool and quiet down with beautiful shades of navy and purple that seemed to slowly shoo away the puffy, white clouds and replace them with its sobering, murky paint.

The rest of the short journey to Ichiraku Ramen was spent in a comfortable silence between us; just one man enjoying being next to the other; and we entered the little noodle stand probably feeling a lot more complete than we had in a long, long time.

"Welcome, Naruto! What'll it be this…"the old man started to express exuberantly to his best customer before evidently seeing that I was with him and taking a sear right next to him, just like any other customer.

"Sasuke…"the old man said at first before adding, "you're welcome here, too, Sasuke. So, what will you boys have, then?"

I could not believe the responses I had getting from the people of the Leaf – such warmth in their words, such unquestioned acceptance and forgiveness…all with genuine smiles on their faces as they looked me in the eye.

If these good people could be so kind to a disreputable person like me, then I would no longer take their smiles for granted.

I would not let Lady Tsunade down with her decision to trust me.

Most importantly, I would never hurt Naruto again…not ever.

Just as I was about to thank the cheerful ramen-maker for his words, Naruto suddenly piped up gleefully with a raise of his hand and said, "Large miso ramen with barbequed pork, please!"

"Sure thing! And for you, Sasuke?" the old man said with his usual grandfatherly smile at us.

However, my eyes had never left Naruto's profile and his big, bright smile that I honestly admired and envied so much, as I kept my elbows propped up on the bar in front of us with my hands loosely clasped together, and replied, "The same."

"Two large orders of miso ramen with barbequed pork comin' right up!" the old man proclaimed jovially before he and his daughter turned around towards their giant cooking pots to begin making our meal for us.

"The same?" Naruto asked with a cheeky smile and a quirk of a blonde eyebrow at me, "I thought you didn't like barbequed pork?"

"Things change," I answered rather cryptically as my words also referred to how things have definitely changed between us as people, like how we were together again right now after all this time, and how it made my heart skip a beat to see Naruto smiling at me.

"Yeah, I guess they do," Naruto agreed with a nod of his head before picking up his glass of water to take a sip.

"What about you, Naruto?" I continued good-naturedly to the fiery kitsune as he set down his glass back onto the bar, my eyes still glued to his every feature and expression as if it were priceless art in front of me, "What's changed about you?"

I somewhat figured that the knuckle-head would probably boast about his newest jutsu or something, smiling wildly and laughing until he was red in the face, but what Naruto said made my stomach knot painfully and my hands to unconsciously drop down from my chin to rest on my lap.

"Nothing," Naruto replied with a small smile as his face was turned towards mine and displayed nothing but pure seriousness and hidden, deeper meaning meant for only me, "not one thing."

For some reason, Naruto's words made me a little nervous and I had to swallow hard in order to continue looking at him.

"I see," I said quietly as I dropped his friendly but penetrating gaze as I looked towards one of the small, plastic containers of soy sauce sitting on the bar a little off to my left.

Could…he have been hinting that he still feels so strongly…about…me?

I could not let myself dwell on the hopeful prospect for too long, and, blessedly, our large, white bowls of steaming hot ramen were quickly set out in front of us by the old man in the next moment who chimed a very proud and booming, "Here you go, guys! Enjoy!"

"Thanks, it looks great!!" Naruto said enthusiastically as he grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the container in between us, pulled them apart and then ran his tongue over his supple, pink lips before saying 'itadakimasu.'

After reaching forward and seizing my own pair of chopsticks that I also snapped in half, I muttered 'itadakimasu' as well before plunging the small, wooden eating utensils into my noodles as well.

Catching a few of the long, slippery ramen noodles with my chopsticks, I leaned over a bit as I brought them to my mouth, sucking up the noodles as quietly as I could manage as Naruto beside me was audibly enjoying his favorite meal a lot faster than I was.

After eating a substantial amount of the ramen and barbequed pork from my bowl, I heard Naruto slurp down the rest of his miso broth before putting his bowl back onto the bar with a pleased, satisfied sigh coming from his mouth.

I swallowed the food that was in my mouth and was about to take another bite, wholly intent on finishing my meal that was actually quite tasteful, when Naruto suddenly said, "Oh man, that was good. Thank you so much, Sasuke."

"It wasn't a problem," I replied, feeling every bit as touched, as I looked at Naruto's smiling, slightly blushing face from the side as I continued to focus on eating the rest of my own ramen before it got cold.

"You can have another one if you want," I offered after I swallowed another bunch of my noodles, clearly remembering that I had never seen Naruto sated after only one bowl of ramen before.

"Thanks, Sasuke," Naruto expressed as I finally brought the large bowl to my lips to drink the rest of the salty, brown broth, "you're the best!!"

I rolled my eyes in mock-annoyance at his praiseful comment as I set my empty bowl on the bar and reached for my glass of water.

"Hit me again, chef!" Naruto called out to the old man's back as I watched the blonde's seemingly never-ending brilliance and vitality before I set down my water glass with a soft 'clink' on the hard surface.

"I've missed you, Naruto," I suddenly confessed to the kitsune before I could stop myself; Naruto's smile already slowly melting from his tanned, whiskered face as his expression turned more serious and contemplative while he watched me barely hold his gaze as I blinked slowly at him.

I had meant what I said, and now that it was out in the open, all I could do was patiently, vulnerably wait for Naruto's reply…whatever it might be.

Naruto visibly breathed easier, letting himself relax back into a kind, understanding smile before he said, "I've missed you, too, Sasuke."

Now, I dropped his affectionate gaze, nodding my head softly in acknowledgment of his stirring words and the jarring way he had said them to me as I faced the front once more.

"Here you are, Naruto," the ramen-maker suddenly appeared again, placing a second, heaping bowl in front of the blonde – sort of slaughtering the tense, thick air between us with his gruff but friendly voice as it had felt like Naruto still had something else to say to me before he had arrived.

I was a little grateful for the well-timed distraction; a large part of me being too fearful, too cowardly about hearing what Naruto would really tell me if he had the chance.

Luckily for me, who was already finished and full, by the time I had drank all of my water, Naruto had finished his second bowl of ramen and was sitting sluggishly on his barstool as he made a humorous 'ahhh' noise to signify that he, too, was done and at his limit.

I chuckled at the display, gaining Naruto's attention as he rubbed his stomach with one hand and said, "Ugh…I think I need to walk this off or something."

"Sounds like a plan," I agreed light-heartedly as I smirked at my best friend's hilarious stature as he shuffled to his feet from his barstool, still holding his stomach in some kind of blissful agony of having too much of a good thing.

Quickly, I paid our bill before joining Naruto outside amidst the velvety blue-black of night; the orange of Naruto's clothing standing out in a stark, blinding contrast to such much surrounding inky hues and tones as he stood next to me and just surveyed the completely quiet and serene view of the sleeping village before him.

"I know where we can go," Naruto suddenly chirped positively to me as his posture noticeably straightened up as he regained his full height and broad expanse of his strong shoulders and back in a show of determination, "…come on."

My mind instantly came up with the smart reply of _'do I have a choice?'_ but that thought was quickly diminished in favor of the reply that I spoke aloud to the kitsune; me still being cognizant of the information I had received about Naruto and his condition…and how I needed to respect my boundaries with him as a result.

"Where are we going?" I asked the smirking blonde as he was already briskly heading off in a direction.

"One of my favorite places," Naruto called back to me, his rushing feet still taking him further away from me before I decided that I had better catch up as well, "…so just come on!"

"Usuratonkachi…" I whispered with a smirk, knowing that he would not hear it, before taking off after the sprinting kyuubi, mentally accepting that I would probably follow Naruto no matter where he was to go; thereby meaning that wherever he had in mind to show me right now actually did not really matter…but I would not tell him that.

Approximately seven minutes later, Naruto and I were sitting on top of the Third Hokage's head along the great rock wall that acted as an important barricade for the rear of the Leaf Village as well as a long-standing monument to each of the powerful leaders that have reigned here.

From way up here, the village looked absolutely breathtaking, as it appeared to be in colorful but night-laden patterns that practically sparkled as cords and cords of street lights lined obscurely throughout the roads and dim, shadowed buildings that barely touched the impossibly dark night sky.

It was so beautiful, the view, and I was able to understand right away why this was one of Naruto's favorite places to be in all of Konoha.

I had never felt so wonderfully thoughtless and tranquil.

"Nice view, huh?" Naruto asked as he used a hand to scratch the back of his neck underneath the high, black collar of his jacket; his eyes still on the village below us as we sat next to each other with our legs stretched out before us.

"It really is," I said, my voice sounding a little far-away as I agreed fully with the kitsune to my right.

A seemingly calm moment passed, one in which I truly believed I could fall into a peaceful, relaxing sleep under these brilliant, twinkling stars that looked like if I were to reach a hand up, I could touch one, before…

"Sasuke, I…"Naruto began apprehensively, still looking out ahead but with troubled, narrowed, unsure eyes, "I'm so glad that you're here with me right now…"

"Me too, Naruto; it's really beautiful up here," I said courteously as I turned my head towards my blonde companion, my eyes being instantly met with striking, watery blue that were filled with unmentioned tears and something else, some emotion, I could not place right away.

"Why are you…"I started in a soft, concerned voice but was cut off as I was abruptly pushed back with Naruto's hands on my chest and his legs straddling my waist, making him effectively sit on me and pin me down as I felt his tears fall down on my throat as he kept his face unbearably close to mine.

"You…"Naruto said as he choked on his sobs; his lovely, raining eyes fighting to remain open so he may look me in the face while he spoke about something that had been weighing tremendously on his heart for an immeasurable amount of time, "…you have no idea…no idea what it means to me that you are here…in this village again…with me!"

I swallowed hard - Naruto's difficult words pressing firmly, painfully into my chest as I dared not to move as I let Naruto try to steady his own breathing and cascading tears that spoke for him in his moments of silence.

Naruto quickly freed a hand from the ground beside my head and used the thick, black cuff of his sleeve to deliver one, good wipe to his tears from his cheeks; almost like he was angry with himself that he was crying at all; his breathing still a bit haggard as I only watched, heavy-hearted and feeling completely guilty and small, as he leaned down even more on top of me so that the tips of our noses just barely touched.

I could feel his warm breath brush passed my chin and lips in staggered, warm puffs as Naruto glared his beautiful gaze meaningfully at me; my mind still intricately, painstakingly turning over his broken, jarring words that he had jut finished saying to me.

His eyes were half-lidded, pained, but unwavering as they held my deep, charcoal gaze; Naruto's hands easing to each side of my pale face to which he held gently in his strong, calloused hands; as he said surprisingly evenly, "Every day, I thought about you…wanted to talk to you, see you…and now you're here and I…I just…"

Hearing Naruto's usually steadfast, ingrained-in-stone words trail off as pitifully as they had left me feeling a shameful wreck, and I whispered out in a small voice, "Naruto…I…"

Suddenly silencing me in a mind-breaking move, Naruto's lips were crushed against mine, his fingers trailing from my cheeks and seizing the sharp lines of my jaws in a firm, no-nonsense hold as he moved his petal-soft mouth against mine possessively, desperately.

Naruto suggestively, languidly licked my bottom lip, making my sensitive flesh tingle in response to him delicately tasting me, before he fully pressed his lips back to mine to savor me instead – my arms quickly shooting up from lying limply on the ground to wrapping securely around his curved back, immediately squeezing the emotional blonde on top of me.

My hands slid into his amazingly soft, spiky blonde hair as Naruto instinctively tilted his head to a side to let us deepen our kiss; anything so we could be closer to the other and feel them more; as both of our warm, slippery tongues met outside of our mouths in the short second that our lips were separated so we may breathe.

Naruto teasingly, lovingly sucked lightly on my tongue, playing with it with his own which practically made my mind melt inside my skull in the most satisfying of ways, as his warm lips were kept over mine before we retracted both of our tongues so we could close our mouths and kiss the other man again.

My hands tightened in silken blonde locks as I parted Naruto's lips with my own, easily sliding my tongue inside the moist, tantalizing cavern, and seeking out Naruto's tongue again as I made long, purposefully slow and torturous strokes of my hot velvet against his – me being wholly consumed with how indisputably wonderful it felt deep inside my soul to kiss Naruto and have him kiss me back just as fervently.

Our lips together felt like perfection; his soft, delicious tongue against mine felt like pure seduction that both eased my every pain but ignited my very existence.

I recognized immediately that I was addicted to Naruto's unique taste and the pleading, affectionate way he kissed me.

There was so much raw, boiling passion flooding from us both and it just felt…right.

Naruto purred inside my mouth as I felt him move his hands from my jaw, down my throat, and to the front of my shirt where his fingers clutched onto the fabric as our kisses became quicker, more heated, and lustful as our breath mixed together sensually as our rushed, needy lips met over and over again.

Carefully but urgently, with my hands still cradling the back of Naruto's head, I sat upright – my eyes still closed as Naruto's precious lips never parted from mine while I made the move, but I could feel the kitsune reactively bring his legs to either side of me so he could continue sitting directly on my lap with his hands still holding onto my shirt in an iron grip that pleased and delighted me to no end.

Naruto nipped playfully at my lips before kissing them in earnest as I slid my hands out of his hair and to his broad, strong shoulders; resolutely but not harshly seizing them as I slowly parted our heated and hurried mouths so we may catch our breath and make sense of the situation.

"Naruto," I started, but quickly received another peck on the lips from the determined fox still clinging to me and allowing me to feel his subtle, tempting weight on my lap as he apparently paid no heed to what I was saying to him at all, "…I..." kiss "…it's getting late, and…" kiss, purr "…Kakashi's going to kill me…" kiss "…so I need to…"

"I'm never letting you go again," Naruto purred seductively in a low, growled voice against my lips as he slid his hands down my chest and wrapped his arms around my back so that his fingers gripped hard at my shoulder blades, massaging them, and making me groan appreciatively in the process.

I felt pleasantly immobile and defeated from Naruto's resilient, domineering words to me as I felt him kiss me hard one more time as he squeezed my body even closer to himself before our pink, pleasure-seeking lips parted naturally, both of us panting with glazed, sleepy-looking eyes and completely infatuated with the other.

"I'm not going anywhere..." I whispered to the flushed blonde currently sitting on my lap and staring lazily, dreamily with half-lidded eyes at my pale lips as they spoke softly to him; my words meaning far more than just my need to return back home; "I promise."

"Promise me again," Naruto breathed quietly against my lips as I watched his eyes slide shut as his delicate, desperate request made another violent pull to my warmed, racing heart as I understood the reasons behind his insecurity.

"I promise, Naruto," I repeated kindly as I just barely tilted my head to a side as I continued to observe his every facial cue and reaction; my eyes searching for any signs of distress or anything that I should set right immediately with the fragile, insecure blonde; "but for now, I need to get back to Kakashi's."

"Okay," Naruto whispered back without any reservation whatsoever, his mind hopefully put at ease as his eyes remained comfortably closed, possibly due to mental fatigue as I was sure that everything that had been happening to him these past few days had to have been rather rough and trying on my oldest and greatest friend who was now a permanent fixture in my life again.

My small, supple lips formed a charmed smile at the complacent, settled kitsune; my legs ready to stand up as my arms and hands were consequently tingling with the urge to gently usher Naruto up from my lap; but I just could not perform any kind of movement straight away as I only wanted to continue gazing upon the enjoyably lax blonde and patiently wait for him to open his gorgeous eyes for me.

Almost as if he had been reading my very thoughts, my ash-colored gaze was suddenly met with slowly appearing but rich, sky blue as Naruto timidly opened his eyes and sought me out right away; his hesitation and bashfulness putting the thought inside my head that Naruto may have suspected that I would no longer be there when he did…but I was there…meeting his initially worried look with a kind smile and soft eyes.

I watched, fascinated and genuinely humbled, as a small grin started spreading across Naruto's face as well from seeing me as I was, his features relaxing almost instantly and only getting stronger as I could almost feel his own inner qualms and strife just float off his shoulders and out of his mind…possibly forever.

"Let's go," I said tenderly, my gentle smile still in place and brightening my pallid lips and features as I brought a hand in between us, offering it to my best friend who took it immediately; our strong fingers affectionately squeezing the other's in a solid, understanding grip; before the pair of us made to stand up with some sort of balance and grace from our spots on the cool, hard ground.

Naruto did not stop smiling at me the whole time.

X

Twelve minutes and seventeen seconds later…

_Ka-lack...click._

"Whew…"I breathed out in relief as I leaned back against the smooth, painted front door that I had just tried to close as soundlessly as possible to Kakashi's darkened, silent apartment.

I knew I was arriving back a little later than what the semi-loose provisions of my newly established curfew entailed…I only hoped that Kakashi was asleep by now and had not noticed.

"How was the ramen?" a low, timbered voice suddenly rang out of absolutely nowhere, making me jump uncharacteristically as I clutched my shocked heart with my fingers.

"God…you scared me half to death…"I replied with a dramatic roll of my eyes as I lowered my hand and took a deep breath to steady myself before pushing off the door and walking into the shadowed, barely illuminated abode.

From the loveseat, Kakashi reached over and clicked on the small, white-shaded lamp that was on top of the wooden side-table that sat in between that piece of furniture and the adjacent couch – Kakashi's face unmasked and exposed as he was dressed down in just his blue shirt and pants, leading me to believe that he was waiting for me to return before he went to bed.

Fine.

Obligingly, I walked into the living room and promptly sat down on the couch, sighing comfortably once I did so, as I relaxed against the soft, pliant cushions and pillows that cradled my entire form.

"It was good; just like I remembered it," I commented about the noodles that I had eaten with Naruto in his favorite dining spot in the entire world, answering my caretaker's obnoxious question whether he truly was curious about it or not.

"And Naruto?" Kakashi pressed but not rudely as I continued to just melt into the couch via my lazy, exhausted sitting position as I felt his mismatched eyes surveying me with interest, "How was Naruto? Everything go okay with him?"

Did everything go okay with him...?

Naruto and I had just kissed another chaste, passionate kiss with longing lips and needy fistfuls of the other's clothing only a short moment ago when he was seeing me off at Kakashi's door.

Everything went perfectly with him…better that I could have imagined.

I smirked upon remembering that little detail, my lips still burning pleasantly for more but already acknowledging that they would never get enough, as I pointedly avoided Kakashi's half-lidded, indifferent gaze at me.

"Yes, everything went fine," I said, trying to hide my childish, dark amusement that the infamous, feared, and highly revered Copy Ninja did not know everything there is to know after all.

"Well, good," Kakashi replied with a positive, relieved nod of his head as he planted his ungloved hands on his knees and pushed himself up from the loveseat, rounding it with ease as he started to venture into the dim hallway, leaving me in the lamplight.

"Oh, and Sasuke…" he chimed again before striding down the hallway to retire to his bedroom for the evening, "try not to make out in front of my door next time, okay? Good-night..."

"W-wh…!?" I completely choked; my eyes wide and stunned at the darkened space my silver-haired caretaker had just been occupying before he had waved at me and walked calmly to his room down the hall, letting me wrestle with my utter embarrassment all by myself.

"Ugh…"I huffed as I sank down amidst the couch cushions once again, feeling defeated but quite amused as it seemed that the little, jab-for-jab games between Kakashi and myself were not to stop any time soon…and also that my earlier assessment of how my cunning caretaker did not know everything, was wrong.

Damn.

Chuckling quietly to myself at the thought, I routinely pulled my shirt off and tossed it over to the opposite loveseat, before tugging down my favorite blanket from the back of the couch which I meticulously draped over my gradually lying-down form.

I was already breathing easier, feeling like I could drift off to sleep before I even got completely situated, but then I noticed that I had left the lamp on.

Its bright, yellowish light was streaming right into my gaze, cutting through the deep, dark black that filled the room in an almost threatening way, and I ruefully sat back up to reach forward and shut off the offending, little room furnishing.

My first, two fingers and thumb holding onto the thin, metal chain underneath the lampshade, I halted turning off the light just yet as the sheer, radiating brightness of it started to…remind me of someone.

"Goodnight, Naruto," I murmured sleepily out to the otherwise empty and dim room, hoping that my words would reach beyond the confines of this apartment, before I finally clicked off the light and laid back down on top of my beloved couch, wrapped in the gloriously thick, cotton-stuffed blanket, and with plump, cloud-like pillows behind my head.

Before falling asleep, I somewhat remembered…something, some theory I once heard, about how…if you think about someone so much and so often…than that person will be able to hear your thoughts…eventually.

I could only hope so…because I still needed to tell Naruto…so much.

_Author's Note_: I am such a sap, I know. My apologies, love. XD Oh! Something impossibly cute is going to happen between Sasuke and Kakashi in the next chapter, so I hope you stick around for it, yes? Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

"_It's complicated, it always is / that's just the way it goes / Feels like I've waited so long for this / I wonder if it shows? / Head under water / now I can't breathe / It never felt so good / 'Cause I can feel it coming over me / I wouldn't stop it if I could."_ – David Guetta

Chapter Four

_**Sasuke's POV**_

Eight days later…

"So, how many dates has it been now?" Kakashi asked me neutrally, conversationally as he remained crouched down low next to my lying form – both of us currently occupying the tiled kitchen floor.

With only my bent, black-covered legs visible from the opened, bottom cabinets as I lie on my back underneath the kitchen sink; Kakashi in charge of handing me tools when I asked for them; I attempted to replace a leaky pipe.

"Agh, this thing…is such a bastard," I grumbled out as I forced a rusted fitting to loosen from the top of the catch pipe that had obviously not been touched since it had been installed, "…four."

"Ah, I see," Kakashi commented smoothly as I made various grunts and noises of frustration and burst of strength as I was finally able to remove all of the copper fittings I needed to and easily take off the busted pipe.

"Pipe," I called out to Kakashi as I stretched out my water-splashed hand from underneath the sink and towards my caretaker.

Responding diligently to my call, Kakashi first wiped off my visible hand with the little blue rag that I knew he had, before smacking the curved, brand-new water pipe into my palm.

Bringing the galvanized pipe under the sink, I asked the jounin, "What? What are you thinking? I know there's got to be something that's bothering you."

"Well, in a way…"Kakashi started somewhat awkwardly in an unsure and secretly amusing voice to me as I worked on the pipes under the sink with the bright red pair of giant metal pliers in my hands, "it's just uh…you guys haven't…you know…right?"

"What?!" I panicked with a jolt that made me drop one of the tiny pipe fittings in my other hand that I heard roll down my chest and onto the kitchen floor.

"No, we haven't, okay? Jeeze…"I answered back, probably blushing inside that bottom cabinet as I reached my hand back out towards Kakashi so he would give me back the dropped item.

Kakashi placed the small piece of bent copper into my palm right away as he said, "Okay, okay, I was just…worried is all."

In the past two weeks that I have been back in Konoha and living under Kakashi's roof, I had actually developed quite a knack for fixing things; my mind finding it simple enough but also very interesting to figure out how things worked and functioned and what tools can be used to repair any problems with them.

I had already repaired a faulty drawer in Kakashi's old work desk, replaced a few hinges on some of the kitchen cabinets, and adjusted one of the window panes in the living room so that it would slide easier.

It had not been long before I admitted to myself as well as to Kakashi that I actually enjoying working with my hands, fixing thing around the house, being useful as well as learning new non-combative skills

In all reality, I think I took so much pride and placed so much intrinsic value in my handy-man tasks because they reminded me that I was, in fact, still human…and not just some mindless killer like Orochimaru had tried to make me.

I was still capable of so much more than perfecting killing tactics, war-time strategies, and succumbing to a sickening, deafening bloodlust that no mere man should ever have to endure.

"Almost got it," I informed my caretaker by my side as I continued to tighten the freshly-replaced fittings that held the new catch pipe in place amongst the others.

"Make sure everything is nice and tight and that nothing can be moved around," Kakashi re-instructed me upon hearing that I was about done with the task, "because if the fittings are a even a little bit loose right now, water is still going to leak out and…"

"Ugh, I know, I know, dad; you don't have to keep telling me," I said quickly, annoyed at my caretaker's nagging, and totally oblivious to what I had just nonchalantly called him as I scooted out from underneath the sink at last.

Carefully sitting up; my back feeling a little stiff from lying on the hard tiled floor all this time; I looked towards the silver-haired, currently masked jounin next to me and said, "Don't worry. It's going to take an act of God to get…those things…off of the um…what's wrong?"

My joke having fizzled out completely as I could not help but ask him that question, my eyebrows quirked up as I finally noticed the dead-panned, deer-caught-in-headlights look that Kakashi was giving me – his mismatched eyes unnervingly wide and I could only assume that his mouth was hanging open behind his matching blue mask as well.

"_Did I do something wrong?" _I mentally dreaded, not used to seeing my always calm and collected mentor look this shocked and speechless, _"Did I hurt his feelings? But how!?"_

Right when I was just about to ask him if he was alright, Kakashi's partially covered features relaxed a little bit as he kept his iron-black and Sharingan eyes fixed directly on my face while he said, "What…did you just call me?"

"Huh?" I said stupidly, not realizing the answer straight away since I had said it so casually before, "I called you Ka…"

Suddenly, I remembered; a gasp leaving me as my eyes widened at my caretaker; my thoughts immediately coming to a halt as I could only wait nervously for Kakashi's reaction to such a personally embarrassing but wholly significant development between us.

All at once, two long, sturdy arms were wrapped around me and tugging me close as I soon found my head snuggled comfortably underneath Kakashi's chin with my face pressed into his collarbone.

"Erm, I can't…"I tried to murmur to my caretaker currently smothering the life out of me, as I lifted my hands to his biceps and tapped my fingers against one a few times, "I can't really breathe..."

"Just shut up and let me hug you for a minute," Kakashi shot back to my muffled, barely distinguishable plead – the almost touching meaning behind his hurried words making me drop my hands from his arms in a defeated manner so he could, in fact, continue hugging me as he was.

"You know, I wouldn't mind it at all if you called me that," Kakashi said to me in a completely somber and grave voice from above my head; his every syllable making my heart well up inside my chest at such a delicate issue with me...for the both of us.

Feeling him release his good-natured death grip on me, I eased back a little bit so I could look him in the eyes; his hands still gripping my shoulders tightly to emphasize just how serious he was being right now.

I gulped and looked away before saying, "Yeah…I guess I could."

His eyes smiled at me warmly as he gave my shoulders one last squeeze before he said, "It's settled then."

I smiled a strange half-smile with both of my eyebrows still perked up, but inside, I was positively delighted in every way that this had happened and I was going to be able to start calling someone 'father' again.

Kakashi had once tried to tell me the importance of finding people to fill the void of those whom I had lost, but at the time, I had only mindlessly ignored what he had said in the end…and went off to Sound Country.

Now…I understood what he had meant that fateful day.

I watched him gracefully get to his feet, his face still kind and accepting towards me, as he went over to the bar to sit down on the farthest barstool – the act leading me to believe that he wanted me to take the one closest so we could continue talking.

Standing up in a not-so fluid series of movements due to my back still feeling a bit sore, I went over to the inner-kitchen barstool opposite Kakashi and sat down obligingly; the very air feeling like Kakashi still had something on his mind that he wanted to say to me.

"Thanks for fixing the sink, Sasuke," Kakashi said once I got settled on top of the thick cushion and rested my bare feet on top of one of the horizontal, wooden pegs that ran in between the thicker columns on the floor.

I smirked and rolled my eyes humorously at the out-of-nowhere praise before saying with a straight face and a serious tone, "Why don't you tell me what's really on your mind…?"

I watched Kakashi sighed silently in order to take a brief moment to gather his straying, growing thoughts before he could piece together what he was going to say to me.

"If there's one other thing that I regret in my life…"Kakashi began solemnly, earning my full and undivided attention as I kept my eyes glued to the nostalgic but possibly troubled Copy Ninja, "…it'd be not having a family of my own."

I swallowed hard and interlaced my fingers on top of my lap as I listened intently to the sheer emotion of what my caretaker was expressing to me.

"I think Obito would have been happy…knowing that someone like me had a wife and children, but…well, you see how much progress I've made with those things," Kakashi continued in such a way that made my stomach tighten horribly as I noticed his gaze often trailed down to the snack-bar in between us and his folded, gloved hands currently resting on top of it in front of him.

I wanted to say something…something profound and all-knowing that would make him cheer up automatically and have the both of us feeling completely better…but I did not…so I waited, quietly.

"So, what I'm trying to say, Sasuke," Kakashi concluded with more resilience in his voice that instantly made my stomach pain settle down and my previous melancholy disappear as he also regained my gaze with firm, unwavering finality, "is that I will be quite honored…to be your dad. I think it's something that both of us need."

I could only blink at him, the man sitting across from me who was telling me that he wanted us to have a father-and-son relationship…and that I could have a father...once again.

"I…uh, I…"I tried, mentally defeated and utterly thoughtless as per my situational daze that left me feeling far too many emotions that had taken years to bury, and having me think of far too many words and phrases that I had made myself forget when I was with Orochimaru.

"Alrighty then, weird moment's over," Kakashi said with a small chuckle; his quick and rather comical words showing how understanding he was of my speechless, taken aback condition right now and making me feel some of my own melancholic weight lift off of my shoulders as a result, "Besides, you need to report to the Hokage today."

"Yeah…"I commented idly as I brought a hand to the back of my head and nervously ran my fingers through my raven hair; ruffling the unruly spikes out of habit while my mind was still digesting our exchanged words and how…strange they made me feel.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later," Kakashi said warmly as he stood up from his barstool; prompting me to do the same as I watched him slowly make his way to the corridor.

Going in the opposite direction towards the door, I sat down on the carpet just before the tiles to put on my shoes, but craned my head around once I heard Kakashi call my name from behind me.

"Hmm?'I answered back curiously as I stood up and placed a hand on the smooth, golden doorknob; ready to head to the Hokage Tower and hear what Lady Tsunade had to say to me.

"I really do appreciate you fixing the sink…and all the other stuff you've done around here," Kakashi said evenly as he looked me squarely in the face from across the room – his solid, praiseful words sending a rare, unfamiliar jolt deep through my very core; making me smile as an uncontrollable circumstance.

"It wasn't a problem," I said just as honestly, just as serious and meaningfully as I opened the door for myself, "…dad."

And with that, I let myself out and politely closed the door behind me.

On the other side of the door, I took a deep, steadying breath; the intensity from talking about something so sensitive with me proving to be thoroughly riddling to my nerves; and I shook my head briefly from side to side to stop myself from crying.

Fourteen minutes later; after I had taken a little extra time going to the Hokage Tower on account of my slow, mindful pace of walking through the village; I was finally standing in Lady Tsunade's large, rounded office that offered an impressive panoramic view of the bright, sunny day and the colorful Leaf below.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Lady Tsunade began in her usual gruff, no-nonsense tone as she almost haughtily cocked her up from a particular paper that she had found quite interesting upon my arrival, "how are things going for you?"

"Fine," I answered truthfully but probably somewhat dully before I quickly added, "everything had been going well."

"I see," the Fifth Hokage commented about my reply as she kept her keen, brown eyes glued to my every feature and poise; analyzing, critiquing, scrutinizing to no end which almost had me fidgeting in my spot, "I have a report here from Kakashi…"

She flashed me the single piece of white paper before reading some of the contents herself, my eyes totally drawn to it as if it depicted my very future.

"Excellent adherence to rules, no problems with Anbu, and has demonstrated a sincere desire to continue living peacefully as a Leaf shinobi…" Lady Tsunade read aloud from the paper, her reiteration of Kakashi's words positively setting my heart alight inside my chest as I quirked up my eyebrows at her but not saying anything just yet.

Setting the paper back down, Tsunade continued seriously, thoughtfully as she locked eyes with me once more, "The Anbu seem to agree with Kakashi since they reported nothing unusual about your behavior during the time they monitored you. So tell me, Sasuke…"

"Yes, Hokage-sama?" I asked formally, every bit as eager to hear what she really had to put before me as I stood perfectly straight in front of her desk with my hands crossed behind my back militarily, courteously.

"Do you want to be a Leaf shinobi?" she asked me simply but gravely, her words really asking me if I desired to be put back on the field, to be part of teams, thereby going on high-ranked, high-risk assignments that would involve me working with the very people I had turned my back on all those years ago…for Konoha.

I did not hesitate with my answer.

"Yes," I replied at once, my face stern and my single word as resilient as stone as my tone almost dared her to question me further about it.

"Hmm…" Tsunade said after an extremely pregnant pause, the biologically aged but young-looking woman sitting back in her chair as she pursed her lips together and studied her large, dark-wooden desk in great detail for a moment.

"You know, I was against the idea initially. I thought that you needed more time to adjust to everything here, but…it was Naruto who came to me a few days ago and begged that I let you do missions again…and I can't exactly ignore this report by Hatake Kakashi either," Lady Tsunade informed me, still thinking what her own decision would be as she briefly chewed on her lip while still eyeing her desk; the mere mention of how Naruto had pleaded with the old woman on my behalf making me raise my eyebrows even more in delighted, touched surprise.

After she sighed, her face showing a sort of quietly exasperated and annoyed defeat, Lady Tsunade regained my gaze once more; this time with sharper cuts of ice in the warm, brown hue of her eyes; as she said, "I have an S-ranked mission for you to start tomorrow with a team I have personally assembled. I knew right after receiving this mission that it would probably require your talents…so…I suppose this little arrangement has worked out."

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" I agreed diligently, my heart and nerves more excited than they had been in a long time and I knew I had to tell Naruto about this right away since he had been the one to first recommend me to her.

"You will receive details of the mission tomorrow at 0700 hours at the front gate where you will meet your team. Is that clear?" Lady Tsunade continued with a certain degree of force in her words that only sparked my enthusiasm further as I hastily replied with more positivism.

"Good. Now, I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but Sasuke…"Lady Tsunade concluded to me with a quirk of one of her thin, light-blonde eyebrows and an extremely evident softening of her tone towards me, "I'm counting on you."

"I know, Hokage-sama," I replied back faithfully as I never let my composure falter nor subside in any way around her, so she may know that I was being completely serious with my words and my decision to act as her weapon, "I won't let you down."

I had purposefully echoed her own words to me from the first day I came back to the village and stood before her, and I watched as Lady Tsunade's features relaxed immeasurable as she continued to look at me; no longer scrutinizing my every detail and aspect; and smiled.

X

"_I wonder who is going to be on my team tomorrow,"_ I thought to myself as I ran along the multi-colored rooftops to Naruto's apartment; my thoughts currently out of control at the prospect of finally doing a legitimate, imperative mission for someone whose cause did not involve taking over the world, _"I hope Naruto is going with us."_

It felt good, satisfying, even, that I was about to embark on an extremely dangerous mission for the kind-hearted people that comprised the very village that welcomed me back with open, waiting arms.

I felt encouraged to do whatever that wise, old woman told me to; obligated as well as privileged; and the mixture of these feelings was incredible to me – like a warm, impossibly soft blanket being wrapped around a sullied, frozen soul in need of exactly that warmth and grace in order to let his blackened heart thaw and be whole again.

I gracefully jumped down from the slanted, reddish rooftop and onto Naruto's green-painted balcony with only the tiniest of sounds from my feet landing again the wooden planks, before I went over to the glass, double-doors and rapped my knuckles against it rather loudly.

"Naruto? Are you home?" I asked the glass, barely being able to see inside of the small apartment by some horrid trick of the light on account of the brilliant beams of fresh afternoon sunlight being out in front of me instead of at my back.

Slowly, a pair of orange-clad legs came into view as I watched Naruto rub at his half-lidded eyes as he lethargically made his way over to me.

He looked exhausted as he pushed open the large glass door to my left and poked his messy head out – Naruto's headband currently off, revealing long, unkempt locks of spiky blonde hair that really did reach into his eyes and hang down his neck in the back…just like I had surmised a few weeks ago.

"Sasuke…what's going on?" Naruto asked in a raspy, just-woken-up voice as his sleepy eyes were fighting against the fading but offending light of day so he could look at me.

My black, glinting eyes quickly scanned from Naruto's impressively lengthy hair to his strong-muscled build that was barely kept from one's imagination underneath his simple black T-shirt, and finally to his unzipped, orange uniform pants that he must have just pulled on upon hearing someone at his balcony door.

My gaze quickly shot up back to brilliant, ocean-blue before I said, "Tsunade gave me a mission tomorrow, and I…heard about what you did for me, so I wanted to say thanks."

Naruto smirked lazily at me as one of his hands scrubbed at an eye again as he said, "So, you heard about that, huh? It's about time that old bat listened to something I said. Do you want to come in?"

"Sure," I obliged, quite content at the prospect of being able to continue seeing Naruto in such a haphazardly dressed and vulnerably tired state, as I followed the blonde back into the apartment and slid shut the glass door behind me.

"So, what's the mission?" Naruto asked me as he plopped down on one of his simple wooden chairs while I sat down cautiously on the edge of his wholly untidy and disaster-ridden bed to his left.

"You mean you're not going?" I answered his question with one of my own as I eyed the blonde almost miserably; folding my hands in my lap as I tried to remain as collected and cool as I could despite feeling a bit out of my element.

"Nope, Granny Tsunade's been having me train 'til I drop lately," Naruto explained as he interlaced his fingers, brought his arms high over his head, and then stretched all of those wonderfully toned and efficient muscles with a little groan escaping him, "that's why I was taking a nap."

"Oh…"I said a little sheepishly, trying not to let my gaze linger too long on the stretching, feline-like blonde a little ways before me as I attempted to survey the random things cluttering his humble apartment instead, "…sorry."

"It's okay," Naruto said with a smile as he dropped his arms and cocked his head slightly over to a side as he continued to blatantly, shamelessly leer at me the whole time I was trying to avoid his gaze, "I don't mind as long as it's you."

This made me whip my head back directly towards him but only to catch the faintest trace of a smile before Naruto suddenly disappeared from his chair and then reappeared straddling my legs with his own and pushing me down on top of his bed in the next, short second.

My back felt comfortable against the firm, supple mattress littered with tossed-about blankets about as colorful and bright as the kitsune himself as he dipped down low and placed his tempting, alluring lips just barely against my own.

"You…are always welcome over here, Sasuke," Naruto said suggestively, his warm breath ghosting provocatively over my flesh, as he continued to smirk down at me with his lips hovering over mine.

In response and in genuine appreciation of his words to me, I craned my head up ever-so slightly so that the remaining distance between us was nonexistent as I pressed my lips to his, claiming his mouth confidently as I felt his delicious lips meld against mine while I watched him slide his beautiful eyes shut.

Naruto's voice hummed low in his throat in approval of our heated, demanding kiss, sending a solid shiver up my spine, as we both moved our lips sensually together, playing with the other man's very resolve in some aspects - subtle shifts in angles enabling us to kiss the other deeper with more searing passion and burning, crushing desire that we both needed the other to feel.

Hastily, as Naruto's immaculate lips against mine were proving to be extremely detrimental to my samurai-like discipline, I lifted my hands up to Naruto's shoulders and gripped his flesh hard before expertly flipping our positions so that Naruto was lying on the bed and I was on top of him.

Our lips had parted during the sudden shift, leaving the both of us panting lightly, before I sank down to be on my elbows and purposefully rest more of my long, sculpt body against Naruto's own trim frame as I crushed our lips together and was instantly rewarded with feeling the kitsune's arms wrap securely around my back and his hands squeeze encouragingly at my shoulder blades.

Oh, I was in heaven like this, practically resting on top of Naruto's lean, warm body with our lips seemingly to be permanently attached while he groped and clawed at my wide, strong back.

Feeling a bit overcome by the sheer thoughtlessness the current atmosphere between us seemed to induce, I languidly pulled my lips from Naruto's, hearing him whine a bit in protest, before I moved them lower to his jaw and pressed another firm, sloppy kiss there instead.

Mindlessly intent on hearing what other sounds my dazzling, flawless fox could make for me, I trailed my petal-soft lips delicately down Naruto's tanned, well-structured jaw to his exposed throat; immediately dipping my tongue out and tasting the sensitive flesh.

"S-Sasuke…"Naruto purred in an adorable stammer as I felt nails scratch down my clothed back before deft, large hands ran underneath my shirt and quickly latched onto the bottom hem, tugging briefly as a silent but pertinent hint to me.

Fluidly, I lifted my lips from Naruto's warm, addictive skin and sat back on my haunches on top of him and was about to say something to the hazy-eyed fox below me, but was cut short indefinitely as Naruto also sprang up from his spot so he sat up before me as well.

My shirt was violently lifted off of me, my arms raising just in time so it was a seamless action to execute, as I let Naruto almost furiously cast aside my black, long-sleeved article of clothing before he also rid himself of his own black T-shirt that joined mine on the hardwood floor below us - Naruto's lips back on mine and hungrily devouring everything I had to offer the very next instant before I could even fully register what was happening.

Feeling a little shocked but completely delighted about how urgent and needy Naruto was being with me, I purred in the back of my throat as both he and I wrapped our arms around the other while our tongues continued to swirl erotically together, causing the both of us to feel jolts of brisk, maddening electricity course through our bodies and tease relentlessly at our growing, trapped arousals.

A touch of sense hitting me squarely in the face out of nowhere, I suddenly brought my hands from around his back to the kitsune's arms and pulled him somewhat away from me, making our lips remorsefully part that riddled me with an immediate feeling of regret, as I looked him in his flushed, panting face and said slowly, "Naruto, maybe…maybe we shouldn't…"

I could not even finish my thought out loud as a staggeringly large part of me was screaming at myself to stop talking right now…because not even I believed what I was trying to say.

"Sasuke," Naruto began in a smooth, sultry voice that made me shiver slightly once more, as he captured my bottom lip in between his lips and began lightly, teasingly nipping and rubbing at my sensitive, pink flesh, "…I need to do this with you. Please…just let me do everything."

I gulped as I watched him practically make love to my bottom lip – the blonde savoring my taste as he teetered on some kind of edge while he toyed with my lips with his own.

Damn.

Failing to come up with anything that I could possibly say back to that, I placed a hand at the small of Naruto's back; my other planted on top of the bed; as I gently eased the both of us back down with me on top of him – my bottom lip still in between his teeth as we moved carefully.

However, as soon as I had lain Naruto back down on his bed, the kitsune abruptly switched our positions again, putting the fox directly on top of me and already slithering seductively down my shirtless body as I lifted my head up from the mattress and saw half-lidded, sky-blue eyes close before Naruto slipped one of my pale nipples in between his lips.

I gasped as I automatically brought my hands up and tentatively raked my long, deadly fingers through bright, blonde hair; my body softly squirming in sporadic, surprised movements as I felt Naruto run the flat of his tongue over my nipple before he nipped it and then kissed away any pain.

I sighed contently as I dropped my head back against the mattress, what was left of my coherent and keen mind pleasantly leaving me in the most magnificent of ways, as I kept my hands in Naruto's silken spikes while I felt the kitsune abandon the worried nipple but only to quickly close his lips around the other one.

"Naruto…" I cooed, my voice like water, as I squirmed again as I felt my stomach muscles tighten from delicious anticipation and increasing, maddening arousal that made my whole body feel on edge and my blood positively race through my heated veins.

"Mmm…"Naruto commented in a purposed, lustful growl as he released my other nipple and lovingly; taking his time with every little ministration he performed; moved down my torso with his lips and tongue as he licked around various curves and dips that adorned my chest and sternum while his hands skillfully began inching my black pants over my hipbones.

I groaned in sweet, rare ecstasy and tensed my muscles, clumsily coming up to rest back on my elbows, as I felt Naruto's soft, wet tongue run over my abdomen before he pressed his lips firmly to my slick, tortured flesh and kissed my skin like it was something precious to him.

Now being able to see what the fox was doing to me, my eyes widened a bit as I saw Naruto was currently pulling my pants down while using his tongue as a distraction; causing me brief, internal panic before I felt Naruto's talented, stress-relieving lips touch the enflamed head of my cock.

"Ooh, shit…Naruto…"I breathed out thoughtlessly as I could intricately feel the blonde's lips spread wider and wider around the tip of my cock until Naruto had the whole, throbbing head inside his wet cavern; his tongue already lapping up at the clear pre-come seeping out from the slit.

Shakily, I breathed out a soft, pleasured moan as I watched more and more of my achingly hard cock disappear inside Naruto's mouth; my oldest friend and newest lover looking incredibly sexy and tempting with his lips spread wide around the base of my cock as I felt the tip of his tongue work the sensitive underside of my length currently buried down his throat.

Again, Naruto hummed low in his throat and I craned by head backwards as a result, my mouth open in a silent moan before I groaned in shameless, red-hot pleasure as I lost myself in the stimulating vibrations that made my cock throb even harder inside Naruto's mouth, practically begging the blonde, as I felt Naruto's lips squeeze me before raising back up.

Naruto's pace of sucking me off was meticulously slow, the suction he applied to the head was mind-shatteringly harsh as I arched my back every time while I groaned my pleasure to his ceiling and felt my every fiber positively weeping with crazed, dire need to experience sweet, blissful relief.

"Naruto," I called out breathlessly, as I leaned on one elbow and used my other hand to sift through unruly blonde spikes in my lap – the kitsune letting my cock slip from his lips as he looked up to me and my own half-lidded, inebriated gaze.

"Turn around and come this way," I instructed him in my dazed, 'bedroom' voice I did not know I possessed as I continued to peer at the scrumptious-looking blonde as he first stripped effortlessly out of his own orange pants before doing as he was told.

I unconsciously licked my pale, yearning lips as I watched every lithe curve of skillful muscle and sinew move this way and that as Naruto climbed back on top of me, turned around in his spot so that he was facing away from me, and then eased backwards…just how I wanted him – one perfectly-shaped and tanned thigh on either side of my head, giving me an almost sinful view of the kitsune's long, sexy body hovering over mine.

As soon as he was in reach, I lifted up a hand and tightly seized Naruto's equally straining cock at the base and brought the leaking, purpling head down to my lips; Naruto gasping and mewling sensuously as I did so; before I eased Naruto's cock into my waiting, moist mouth below.

My other hand gripped one of Naruto's thick, muscled thighs as I curled my tongue teasingly around the tip of his cock before slowly, carefully taking more and more inside my mouth and down my throat – Naruto's lovely mouth descending once more on my own cock at the same time.

Strong hands squeezed at my legs as Naruto bobbed his head up and down my length, letting my cock thrust in and out of his hot, perfect mouth that seemed to practically plead with me to orgasm down his throat as I let him move his own cock back and forth in between my own lips that I kept tightly closed around his length – the pair of us all breathy moans and sharp, airy gasps as we continued to please and be pleased by the other.

Despite noticeably trembling every time I felt Naruto moan around my cock from the pleasure I was giving him, I quickly let Naruto's slick, rigid member slip from my mouth so I could stick a few of my fingers into my mouth; thoroughly coating my long, pale digits with my own saliva before I used both hands to seize Naruto's too-tempting ass before me.

"Oh God…do it, Sasuke…please," Naruto begged deliciously as he also released my cock from his mouth, still keeping a tight grip around the base in his hand, and instead started to lazily tongue my sensitive testicles while he angled his ass up even more for me.

The sound of Naruto's breathless begging went straight to my groin and I immediately responded by plunging my tongue into his tight, puckered entrance; my hands on either side of his firm, round ass holding him still as the fox was already whimpering and writhing in ecstasy on top of me.

Hastily, wanting Naruto to be completely at my mercy so I could hear him beg some more, I swirled my tongue against Naruto's entrance; coating the tantalizing, pink flesh in a most mind-shattering of ways, before dipping my wet, warm muscle inside; making him arch his back while he squeezed my cock and moaned his pleasure.

Suddenly, I felt my cock being swallowed again in sweet, wonderful retaliation; making me moan against his ass as my hands faltered slightly before I pulled my tongue out of his entrance and shoved two of my fingers inside of him.

"Nng…mmn…"Naruto whimpered around my intrusive and achingly hard cock currently down his throat upon being breached; my fingers already moving in and out of him slowly to stretch and prepare the blonde while I simply could not help myself and proceeded to lightly bite at the delicious curves of his ass to make him squirm even more for me.

Abruptly, sort of catching me off-guard, Naruto released my cock from his lips again; his voice sensual and solid as he craned his head back towards me and said, "I can't take it anymore, Sasuke…I need you…right now…"

With that and nothing more said, Naruto crawled down my sprawled-out body; making my fingers slide out of him in the process; as I watched him straddle my waist with him still facing away from me – his toned, slender frame perched on top of mine giving me a very obliging view of his muscled back, narrow waist, and full, round ass as he got comfortable on top of me.

Words were one hundred per cent lost to me at this point as I could only watch and gape at how Naruto reached behind himself, promptly seizing my straining member in his hand, and then angled it towards his sopping wet, stretched entrance as he carefully raised his ass off my lap for leverage – everything I was seeing, feeling, and experiencing proving to be far too stimulating and entrancing for me to still have my wits about anything.

"I've wanted to do this with you…for so long…Sasuke," Naruto confessed to me, heartfelt as it was erotic as Naruto looked at me from over his shoulder before gently lowering his ass down and letting the thick, wide head of my cock push passed his tight right of muscle and slip inside his body.

My hands shot up to his hips for support upon feeling such staggering pressure suddenly engulf my solid, throbbing length; my fingers gripping him hard as I unconsciously spread my legs even further, thereby making more and more of my cock ease up into Naruto's mind-warping heat as I groaned my unbelievable pleasure in between clenched teeth.

Naruto's strong, weapon-calloused hands squeezed at the outsides of my thighs as he seated himself fully on my lap, his insides positively choking my weeping member almost painfully but amazingly so as the fox was breathing hard and letting himself adjust to my size before either one of us moved.

"Fuck…S-Sasuke…"Naruto growled out, a bit of pain lingering in his tense words, before I visibly noticed him relax against me and then angle his thighs out even wider on top of his messy bed with a quivering sigh of bordering ecstasy.

My mental capacity was about in the negatives from not being able to move, before, like a blissful wave of internal relief washing over me and ridding my very being of any possible dire feeling, Naruto arched his smooth, tanned back; moaning softly as he did so, as he began slowly bucking his hips against mine – the soul-enriching but mind-breaking act making my cock leisurely slide in and out of his impossibly tight entrance at such a pace where I thought I was going to lose my mind all over again.

"Mmh…Naruto…ugh…"I breathed out, halfway appreciatively, halfway in warning, as I used my hands on his trim waist to help him move and rotate those wonderful hips of his against mine in this painstaking but mindful manner – the kitsune all breathy gasps and sensual groans on top of me as I watched him toss his glorious blonde head back over and over as he arched his body and took more of me deeper inside of him as we continued to rock against each other.

Despite how non-negotiable it was that I was too sexually frustrated at this point, I could not help but lose myself completely in this pure, uncompromising moment where I only had to watch as Naruto sensuously pleasured himself with my cock buried inside of him – the maddeningly slow pace in which we were making love was almost candy-sweet in that it symbolized so much more than the two of us just seeking release.

We truly wished to be closer to the other; to prolong this moment of our being together because it was perfect, it was amazing, and it was right.

There was love in all its raw energy and power zinging through my veins and rivaling any of my other baser needs as I watched, in awe, as Naruto rode me; moaning my name in long, legato syllables like it was some life-saving mantra to him as we both genuinely treasured the other right now.

I never wanted it to end, in all honesty, but I could not help it when I quickly sat up from my lying position; my arms wrapping possessively around Naruto's middle as I placed my lips on the junction between Naruto's long neck and broad, muscled shoulder.

"Sasuke…"Naruto purred as he subtly turned his head to where I had my face pressed lightly to his soft, incredible skin; my lips parted and just barely touching his heated flesh; as I slid my hands down his stomach and out to his spread thighs; gripping them firmly but not harshly as I let my actions speak for me regarding how I wished to be in control now.

My hands on his thighs keeping his legs spread wide against my lap, I picked up our pace as I began thrusting brutally inside of Naruto's highly addictive entrance; the very texture inside of him that repeatedly massaged over my cock in all the right places only making me want to thrust even faster; seek out that same ideal stimulation even more.

"You feel so good, Naruto…" I whispered lowly against his flesh as I felt the tip of my cock strike his prostate over and over, with each, building thrust I made up into that supple, willing, and moaning body as Naruto, in turn, raised his arms and brought his hands back to grip at my sweat-matted, raven hair.

Slender fingers tugged lightly at my inky black and blue-tinted mane as Naruto kept his back arched in my lap, just letting me do whatever I wished with his body; manipulating it and moving it as I pleased in order to wring out as much pleasure I desired from pounding up into that sweet, moist entrance that was succeeding in making me forget practically every single thing that had ever occurred to me.

"S-Sasuke, don't stop…don't you dare stop….nnh…I…am so close…"Naruto informed me in between his loud, desperate moans to his ceiling as his sounds and noises had grown considerably shorter and more staccato in frequency as my pace had only quickened as I, too, was reaching my limit and could feel my pending orgasm taunt maddeningly low in my groin.

"Come with me…right now…Naruto…"I growled before I parted my lips wider against the his shoulder and bit down hard upon his slick, sweet flesh that seemed to melt in my mouth as I felt Naruto's insides squeeze around my cock as the blonde cried out and pulled at my hair even harder.

All at once, Naruto screamed my name, his eyes screwed shut tight as the back of his head was lying on top of my shoulder, as I watched his cock spurt stream after stream of creamy, white essence that splattered in jagged, curvy arcs all across his chiseled and stretched-out stomach as his toes curled cutely against the warm and rumpled bedsheets.

The sight was far too sexy for its own good, and I arched my own back as I suddenly felt my own orgasm positively rip though me at an uncontrollable and break-neck pace as my cock swelled drastically before I came long and hard inside of Naruto's quivering, sweltering inside, coating the wonderful texture there with my own warm, ivory essence as I moaned out Naruto's name with a gruff, unsteady voice as I clung to him.

Naruto and I, both slick with sweat and other bodily fluids, trembled softly in each other's arms as we tried to catch our breath – both of us content to just basking in the mindless euphoria of post-sex bliss and the extraordinary weightless feeling that ensued as neither one of us dared to move yet…almost as if this entire tranquil, loving moment would be ruined if we did.

I blinked slowly, barely registering the vicious-looking bite mark now adorning the back of Naruto's shoulder before I administered a little strength back into my arms still wrapped around the blonde so I could carefully pull us back down to the bed to rest properly.

I felt astonishingly boneless and lax as I held the fox close to me while I made myself comfortable amidst the sheets and pillows – every fiber of my being wholly relaxed, happy, and peaceful…something so rare to me, and I could not help but enjoy it fully.

"That was…wow…"Naruto said with a hoarse, whispered voice, his words delighting me and making me scoot upwards so I may rest my back against the headboard and have Naruto's head in my lap – a smile on my face while I shifted positions again and was now able to look over him.

As I peered down at Naruto's peaceful, blonde head resting comfortably on my naked thigh; blue eyes currently closed, making him look asleep already; I could not help but be totally humbled by the precious sight as I let my fingers gently glide through unruly blonde spikes that were even more directionally challenged now that they were a little damp and frazzled.

"There's something I've been…meaning to ask you about," I started out of nowhere, a thought having struck me so aggressively that I absolutely could not stop myself from voicing it aloud now that I felt that Naruto and I could speak about this matter in complete confidence, "Kakashi told me about…what happened to you…about undergoing tests and things, and I was just wondering what they said you…uh…"

I did not know how to finish my thought, too many possibilities staring me in the face that might upset the content and calm fox resting partially in my lap after we had just made bittersweet, fulfilling love.

"…_what they diagnosed you with?"_ I mentally considered of adding onto the end of my now regrettable prying statements about my oldest friend, though it was out of true concern and curiosity that I had even brought it up, _"…what they said was wrong with you? …I can't say that to him..."_

"…what they said I have?" Naruto finished for me as he did not even bat an eye as we were finally talking about something detrimental yet important concerning the blonde and his mental health, "They told me I have borderline personality disorder, specifically with sensitivity to feelings of abandonment which makes me tend to see things in a 'black and white' perspective and have overall self-image issues. But…I think, um…the therapy has been helping…and so…"

_Sensitivity to abandonment…self-image problems…?!_

My face was that of sickening horror as I just stared out across the room, having listened to Naruto's explanation and was now trying to wrap my head around everything he had just told me – all of it making my stomach drop and my mouth go dry from utter shock and cruel disbelief.

"_Oh my God, it really is my fault...Naruto..."_I thought, feeling somewhat scared as terrible amounts of sharp-pointed guilt started to riddle through me, tearing me up and threatening me with deep, stinging panic.

He had abandonment issues…because I had left him!

I could have died right now and not cared one bit…

"Naruto, look at me," I ordered softly as I moved my hand from his hair down to the slope of his visible, whiskered cheek; gingerly angling his head up from my lap until Naruto sat up on his own to face me directly.

"I'm never leaving you again; I promise;" I confessed firmly, meaning every word as I held Naruto's slightly worried, ocean-blue gaze with my own solid, unwavering onyx one as I slowly brought a hand over to Naruto's and interlaced our fingers together, "…I'm so sorry…I'll do whatever you tell me to…anything…"

Naruto smiled at me as I brought his hand up to my lips and pressed a chaste, meaningful kiss to his fingers before the kitsune politely freed his fingers from my loose grasp so he may take my cheek in his warm, comforting palm and gently caress my pale skin as I gulped at his pleasant, carefree face.

"You're already doing it," Naruto answered back as he brushed the pad of his thumb over my cheekbone admiringly; his lovely, bright smile still in place, melting my heart as my soul melted in his hands.

Suddenly, both of us wrapped our arms around each other and squeezed the other man as tightly as we could without trying to inflict pain – our embrace desperate and significant in that we knew that we needed to have the other as close as possible…since we cared so much for each other that it practically brought us internal suffering.

"I love you, Naruto," I said with furrowed, worried eyebrows as I kept my face buried in Naruto's shoulder as he did the same to mine; his fingers squeezing at my back while my arms around his shoulders were relentless in their strength to keep him pressed up against me.

"I love you…I always have, Sasuke," Naruto answered, his voice as light as a feather as his precious words danced across my flesh and sang in my ears like a heavenly melody only the saved should hear, as he subtly moved his small, tanned face against my shoulder and noticeably breathed in my scent.

Again, I felt like I could have died…but this time, it was from the substantial amounts of indescribable relief I felt as I held Naruto close to my body and was rewarded with having him do exactly the same to me with cherished words of love hovering delicately above us.

X

I had waited until Naruto had fallen asleep before I had carefully detached myself from the kitsune, minding moving around his limbs too much as to not wake him, before I sought out my scattered articles of clothing from his hardwood flooring and then readied myself to take my leave.

I had cast my snoozing, blonde knucklehead one last, lingering look as he lay on his side on his bed with the semi-twisted and disheveled sheets only coming up to his waist, before silently slipping out of his apartment – a small smile gracing my lips as I did so.

In no time, I was back at Kakashi's apartment; my curfew still having some time left, but I knew I would need the extra sleep due to the mission starting early tomorrow; and I breathed out a huge sigh of reprieve as I closed the front door behind me.

The apartment was surprisingly dark, which puzzled me at first as I stepped further into the apartment and had just originally expected Kakashi to be making dinner at this time, until I spotted a small, clean sheet of white paper with writing on it that lay on top of the snack-bar to my left.

I quickly switched on the intense kitchen light which almost illuminated the entire expanse of the corridor and living room behind me, before picking up the note and reading the contents aloud:

_S,_

_Got called on an urgent mission; should be back in a few days. Dinner's in the oven, try not to burn down the house, and good luck on your mission tomorrow. _

_K_

_P.S: Lady Tsunade thought it would be okay to return something of yours back to you now. You'll find it on my bed._

I blinked at the note before setting it down where it had been on the snack-bar before completely forgetting the bit about my meal as I dashed to my caretaker's unlit room and quickly approached the large, green-covered bed that I already reasoned with myself that I would definitely sleep on tonight.

Lying on top of the thick, shuriken-designed comforter; in a long, slender stretch of perfect midnight black; was…my sword.

My Kusanagi Sword that I had gotten during my tutelage under Orochimaru, with its flawless black lacquer scabbard glinting solemnly and deadly in the pale, fading sunlight that was still streaming in through the closed blinds, that housed my long, impossibly sharp blade that, when used with Chidori Nagashi, was unlike any other typical ninja technique where nothing could get in my way and avoid being slashed into oblivion… practically just like another limb for me to utilize in battle and manipulate my lightning chakra - my beloved, treasured 'grass cutter.'

I reached forward with both hands and carefully picked up my long-since forgotten sword, instantly feeling even more satisfied and complete as a person and fully-trained ninja than I had the moment before, as I now felt its familiar, comforting weight in my palms.

"Thanks, Tsunade…everyone," I mused aloud to no one in particular as I took a deep breath, letting my sword remain in only one hand now and down by my side, as I felt even more determined to initiate being a participating, helpful addition to the Leaf Ninja as per tomorrow's mission.

There was no way I would fail, no matter what the task, and no matter who it was that I was to work with – I felt ready for anything, now that I had my custom-made Kusanagi back in my hands and Naruto's taste still lingering on my tongue.

I had never felt happier with my life than this very moment of being all alone in Kakashi's quiet, boring apartment, holding my practically vital weapon; the likes of which signified of how the Fifth Hokage was placing even more trust and steadfast faith in me; and still being able to reflect on how Naruto and I had made fortifying, soul-cleansing love only some hours ago.

I was so overwhelmed with happiness; I genuinely felt like I had everything and could not possibly ask for more.

Just then, as if on some comical, overseeing cue, my stomach rumbled loudly and even made me wince a bit with how strong it was.

As ready as I had felt to march bravely into some horrible, hellish battle for the everlasting sake and glory of Konoha…I was even more ready to finally eat something tonight…and then I would be in a position where I could not ask for more.

It's settled, then.

My mind made up about the chronological order in which I was to do things, I continued holding onto Kusanagi as I swiftly turned on my heel, promptly exited the darkened bedroom, and headed off towards the kitchen to retrieve my meal that was allegedly waiting for me in the stove.

As I walked proudly down the corridor, the thought occurred to me that it did not even matter what food Kakashi had already made for me to eat; there was nothing that could take away this overall sense of cheerfulness that was as rare as it was beautiful and staggering to me; making me feel untouchable, worthy, and finally pleased with the things that were happening to me.

It was ironic in a sense that an instrument of death would the thing to bring out so much delight and mental relief with me, but I knew that it was much more than just the sword itself that was currently putting my mind at ease and succeeding in soothing my soul.

It was how I could finally be trusted inside this village again, how Naruto would be waiting for me to return after my missions, and how I was going to be contributing to a better purpose now and for the rest of my life…that made me feel so undeniably salvaged; just like the warm, smooth blade in my hands.

I had never felt happier…and I already could not wait until I saw Naruto's handsome, smiling face again.

X

_Author's Note:_ Hmm. Now I just need to think of what Sasuke's mission is going to be… Crap. XD Thanks for reading and such, yeah? Reviews are epic love!!


	5. Chapter 5

"_The razors and the dying roses / plead I don't leave you alone / The demi-gods and hungry ghosts of God / God knows I'm not at home / I'll never find someone quite like you again / I'll never find someone quite like you again."_ - VAST

Chapter Five

_**Sasuke's POV**_

The next morning, just before 0700 hours…

Dressed in the standard dark blue three-quarter sleeved shirt, matching pants, fingerless gloves, thick green flack jacket, and with my beloved sword fastened securely to my back, I raced from rooftop to rooftop as I headed towards the towering front gate where I was to meet my team at last.

The giant double doors were already opened regarding our nearing departure and I spotted three other figures waiting for me, before I hastened my speed and leapt from the last possible solid surface within my range so I may drop down to exactly where they all were standing.

"Well, what do we have here?" Nara Shikamaru spoke up first in his usual sluggish, low tone that could probably put me into a peaceful slumber if I listened to him long enough, "Lady Tsunade said we were in for a surprise, but I didn't expect this of all things…how troublesome…"

The shadow-user eyed me indifferently as a thin, white cigarette continued to send wispy, grey streams of smoke into the air as I replied with as little attitude as I could manage, "Good to see you, too, Shikamaru."

"Well, at any rate, you complete our four-man team, so I guess I can't complain too much," Shikamaru shrugged off with an obliging nod, making me smirk at the unenthusiastic acceptance the lazy but brilliant ninja offered, making me grateful that he was the one to lead our team.

"Sasuke-kun! It is most excellent to see you again!!" Rock Lee suddenly shouted into my face as he gave me a solid, and frighteningly determined thumbs-up gesture with his fully-bandaged hand; the other one resting on his green-clad hip.

"Yeah…you, too," I said somewhat awkwardly while still trying to be kind to the more-than overzealous ninja to my right as I softened my gaze at his unnerving but positive pose.

"Hello, Sasuke-kun," a gentler voice said to my left, making me turn my head towards the sound as I was suddenly met with a face too similar to my own, though I could not place it right away, "I know I was not one of your friends while you were here, but do you, by chance, remember who I am?"

"_Ugh…he was that one guy…that was with Naruto and Sakura a few years back…at Orochimaru's underground lair…right?! Shit…what on earth was his name? Kabuto said it to me when he first introduced us…hmm…"_ I mentally struggled, trying desperately to pull up images of the instant in which he was referring to when he and I had allegedly met.

"Of course; you're Sai, correct?" I triumphed at last, keeping my voice innocent and steady even though I knew I had just pulled off a small miracle in front of the grinning, pale young man in front of me.

"Yes," Sai responded as his smile at me seemed to grow bigger while he sort of tipped his head to a side, "I'm glad we're meeting on better terms this time."

"Likewise," I replied in earnest as I softened my features even more, completely grateful that the members of my team were already welcoming me into their ranks and allowing me to one of them, versus violently capturing me right now and telling me how everything had been one, terrible trick.

"Alright, let's get down to business, gentlemen," Shikamaru chimed in again with his low almost grumbling voice as he took his shortening cigarette out of his mouth and administered a quick flick of his thumb to the butt so all the excess ashes fell off while he spoke, "Thankfully, we're not going far; only to a small village just outside the northern border of Fire Country, so I suspect that we should be back by tomorrow. The bad news is that our mission is to ambush a group of unidentified rogue ninja that we believe have stolen a scroll from us a few days ago and are currently waiting for more of their comrades to meet them before they continue moving."

"Unidentified? So, we don't know how many of them there are?" I asked seriously as I watched the lazy leader blow the last of his smoke out of his lungs before dropping the finished cigarette on the ground; me being not at all bothered by the outlines of our somewhat blind mission but admittedly curious as to how bloody or otherwise this little excursion of ours might get.

"Since their mission was to sneak in our village and steal a scroll, as well as how they are waiting for reinforcements in another location, my guess is that there are probably three of them," Shikamaru reasoned out loud for all to hear and contemplate as I nodded in understanding, processing the information but not at all taking it lightly.

"Alright then, if there are no more questions, let's move out!" Shikamaru stated with a bit more strength his words than before, prompting the rest of us to say a quick and uniform 'right' before all four of us blurred out of vision as we teleported to the trees to begin our chase.

Our formation for leaping through the trees occurred naturally, with Shikamaru in the front, Lee and Sai more or less making up the middle, and me behind the expertly rushing group.

I could not help but feel even more sincere appreciation sweep through me in light of how my team continued to be so unquestioningly trusting towards me by allowing me to bring up the rear and, consequently, be out of everyone's line of sight as I watched the team's back.

"Going along with what I said earlier," Shikamaru suddenly spoke up so all of us could hear as we rushed passed tree after tree; a visual collage of blurred blotches of green, brown, and the tiny specks of brilliant white in between; as we kept our speed relatively fast through the dense forest; "since it is highly likely that there are so few of them, they probably specialize in stealth jutsus rather than up-front attacks and taijutsu. Everyone needs to keep their eyes open for anything out of the ordinary."

"Got it," I responded, narrowing my gaze as I could feel my muscles tense a little with the prospects of upcoming battle and strategy against other ninja who had the potential to be capable of anything.

"Right," Sai said indifferently.

"If they are not strong in taijutsu, then Sasuke-kun and I will show them how it is done!!" Lee suddenly beamed to Shikamaru with a huge grin and one, winking eye; his ever-positive words and sudden use of my name catching my attention immediately and making me grin my famous Uchiha, half-sided grin at the eager shinobi that had basically just given me a compliment.

A little while later…

"Sai, send out a bird to fly ahead and scout out where the enemy is," Shikamaru instructed sternly, the change in his voice possibly signifying how our moment of confrontation was vastly approaching with the unknown enemy as we had already passed several mile-markers and were just about in the northern territory.

I watched from behind as Sai quickly retrieved a blue-backed scroll and a slender, brown paint brush from his weapon pouch, bringing the items out in front of him while we all continued to swiftly leap from branch to branch, covering huge expanses of territory in incomprehensibly short amounts time.

After Sai made a rather efficient painting on the shining white on the scroll's rice paper with the sharply contrasting black ink, the painter put his first two fingers up by his mouth and said quietly, "Ninja art: Great Beast Jutsu."

The next instant, his painting came to life as a white and black-lined bird suddenly flew from his scroll and into the sky above, its wings flapping hastily in order to gain some momentum until it could soar gracefully above the treetops and out ahead as Sai had willed it.

"Sasuke, you remain in the back. Lee, I need you up here with me," Shikamaru continued, making the both of us nod in agreement to his orders as the vividly green-clad ninja made a particularly larger jump from a tree limb so that he was now running right next to the glum-faced but ever-strategizing team leader.

"Everyone stop!" Sai abruptly called out in his otherwise calm voice – all four of us instantly stopping on the same, thick tree branch so we could hear his assessment.

"The village is fifty-three yards ahead and I think I've spotted one of our culprits walking back through town just due east," Sai reported, every word being heard scrupulously by our leader as he turned the information over in his brain before handing out any more orders.

"If he's going through town, it might be for supplies while the others hide out somewhere," Shikamaru stated quietly to the rest of us as he only took a moment more before deciding, "Alright, Lee and I will track the guy moving east while Sai and Sasuke search for the other two. They can't be too far away, and I'm betting that they are the ones who have the scroll."

With only soundless, affirming nods of our heads, the four of us split up into our respective pairs and headed out in our assigned directions.

As soon as Sai and I landed on the dusty, bare ground where building after shoddy wooden building remained in linear lines to configure the simple village's main shopping and commerce area, Sai had already scrawled some more of his paintings onto the scroll he was holding and was now concentrating on activating his jutsu to bring them to life as well.

I watched as the painter sent hundreds of tiny, black-painted mice scampering towards the houses, shops, and other various buildings that were now right in front of us along the clearings made amidst the forest.

I knew that Sai's mice were doing reconnaissance work for us and would probably report back to him what they found just like his bird had earlier, so the pair of us began walking slowly and as casually as we could as we made our way towards the town – two pairs of almost identical onyx eyes searching every board of wood that made up the solid fixtures we passed.

"So, you killed Orochimaru, Sasuke-kun?" Sai suddenly asked in an offhanded yet conversational tone as if he was asking me for the time; the two of us continuing to walk side-by-side through the somewhat crowded town, looking at faces of all kinds and natures while constantly checking for any abnormal chakra signatures.

"Yes," I answered honestly but unwilling to say anything further on it as I tried my best not to pay him and his 'conversation' too much attention as I kept my keen senses acute and alert of every little thing happening around me – all the noises of shopkeepers cooking, counting money, telling the customers good-bye; the way people's shoes sounded as they walked closer to me and then farther away against the warm, solid dirt; how many doors and windows there were on every single building I could see or otherwise.

"That must have been quite a battle…?" Sai grinned at me once more as I could feel his eyes on me for a moment before he turned his attention back to our cluttered, jumbling surroundings – his praiseful statement obviously trying to coax me into telling him more details about such a subject.

"Have your mice found anything yet?" I asked sternly, blatantly dodging his attempt to get me to speak about something so complicated regarding my rather jagged past, as I stopped walking and turned a little towards the odd artist at my side.

"I'll call them now," he stated politely, his eyes still smiling at me as he brought his fingers back up to his chin and apparently called his little creatures back to him for their report.

The next moment, most of the inky mice flooded back to us, covering the ground where we stood with murky black until all of the paintings turned into words right there against the dirt – my eyes quickly reading the kanji and interpreting their meaning.

"There was nothing northeast, but a few of the mice were caught and destroyed just ahead on the left…the teahouse," Sai said aloud to me, my mind already conjuring up a tactic for us to use since we needed to act swiftly and not risk losing the culprits now that they had seen Sai's jutsu.

"You go in through the front and I'll approach from behind. We'll corner them and retrieve the scroll and then wait for Shikamaru's orders. Clear?" I formulated to the pale painter, locking eyes with him as I unconsciously flexed my fingers on my right hand, my sword hand.

"Yes," Sai affirmed before both of us raced towards the large teahouse ahead, the pair of us being separated as per my plan as I quickly dashed over to the left where the outer gardens were so I may enter the building from the rear entrance while Sai stormed in through the front door.

Effortlessly, I leapt gracefully through the air in a giant, gravity-defying arc until I landed without so much as a gentle noise onto the paved area behind the adequately-sized tea house that was surrounded by a well-kept bushels of flowers and stone ornaments and statues that lined the perimeter and colored the bland scenery.

In an instant reaction to seeing someone like me present himself, one of the men from the small, scattered masses of people currently occupying the gardens and chatting ignorantly behind the teahouse, started clumsily pushing past people in a futile and idiotic attempt to distance himself from me; his rough actions making people bustle about and drop their porcelain teacups to shatter on the ground.

Sharingan activated and making my eyes blaze with an intense red and black design in each that closely resembled a six-petal flower, I locked my sights onto the fleeing culprit; practically seeing his moves before he made them himself; before I quickly navigated through the already evacuating customers.

As soon as more people had cleared from in between us, the man; a bulky, older man with dirty-tanned skin, wearing a beige, sleeveless vest with a white shirt and darker brown slacks; whipped his body around to partially face my direction as he threw multiple kunai before already starting to perform a series of hand signs.

My deadly, powerful eyes narrowed and I could have laughed out loud as I instinctively drew my Kusanagi Sword and easily deflected the kunai aimed for my head, heart, and left ribs – my eyes still glued onto my opponents hands, but the man was already sinking into the ground where he stood as per his jutsu.

I stopped my footsteps, my tactical mind too used to battle at this point as I was able to feel a rare 'warrior's peace' as I calmed my movements, my breathing, my everything, and just let my instincts guide me perfectly like I knew they would.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment, my ears listening intently to the deafening silence around me, before I shot my eyes open again and quickly turned around in my spot; reaching my arm out as I gripped fiercely with my outstretched hand at seemingly nothing but air.

"Arg…ack…how…how did you know?!" the man's voice choked out as I continued refusing him any oxygen to be passed through his windpipe as I tightened my grip around his neck with my free hand; Kusanagi down at my side in my other.

"Your stealth jutsu never had a chance against my Sharingan," I obliged him the explanation as I glared my menacing gaze at him before he passed out from lack out of oxygen – my intention never having been to kill him since those were not my orders from anyone, coupled with the ever-present concept within myself…that I never wanted to see anyone die again…ever.

I let the unconscious body fall from my fingers and thump harshly on top of the ground before raising my head towards the back door upon hearing Sai call my name, my Sharingan fading from my eyes as my adrenaline began subsiding.

The painter walked towards me, an unconscious man dressed similarly to the one I had just knocked out draped over a shoulder, before Sai pulled him down and let him drop next to his comrade on the paved floor.

"It seems Shikamaru-kun was right in that these guys just use stealth and escape jutsus," Sai informed me as we looked upon our defeated foes; knowing that we needed to search them for the scroll so we would have something to report back to Shikamaru and Lee once we met up, "this one here tried to run off towards the…"

Just as I had lifted my gaze naturally while I was still listening to Sai's words, I saw another man standing in the doorway; his right arm extended down to his left side as he had already launched a hoard of shuriken at us.

"_Shit, there was a fourth man on their team!"_ I thought bitterly before I roughly pushed a still-speaking Sai to the ground, stepping in his place, as I brought my Kusanagi up high with several, skilled spins of the familiar blade in my hand before lowering the long, dark blade so that the very tip touched the ground.

"Chidori Souten!" I shouted, my advanced Sharingan burning in my eyes once more as I manipulated my lightening chakra throughout my body and made it crackle in jagged, beautiful light-blue streaks of enhanced power that sang out in the air and hurdled towards the unaccounted-for opponent that had attacked Sai's back and my blind spot.

The culprit's shuriken sizzled under my lightening before clanging uselessly to the ground before the man himself was engulfed by my nature chakra that had him screaming in strangled, unforeseeable pain before he dropped to his knees and landed face-first in the dirt; the man's eyes having rolled in the back of his head in the process from having his internal systems so devastatingly compromised.

"T-thank you, Sasuke-kun," Sai said from the ground by my feet, prompting me to direct my gaze to him and gingerly reach out a hand towards him to help him up, "I did not even…see…h-him…"

I furrowed my brows together upon hearing Sai trail off as he had; the latter still having yet to take my offered hand; as I watched his usually stoic and indifferent façade slowly break until he was staring up at me in complete and total horror.

"What's wrong?" I asked, genuinely puzzled over his sudden reaction to me.

On his own, disregarding my efforts to try to help him, Sai hastily got to his feet and took a noticeable step away from me; confusing me further as I continued to keep my eyebrows knit together as I watched him and his curious movements.

"Your…your eyes…"Sai said unsteadily as he took another, smaller step away from me; his black eyes wide with fear and incomprehension as he looked upon me like I was a monster.

I wanted to say something like…

"_It's my Mangekyou Sharingan; a parting gift from my older brother before he died...my greatest weapon…"_

"_I am an Uchiha, and I am proud of my inherited kekkei genkai…of my Sharingan…"_

However, I only sighed audibly, feeling rather downtrodden and depressed from the various responses I had thought up and all the countless, heart-wrenching meanings behind every one of them, before I turned my head away from my scared comrade and just murmured softly, "…yeah."

Just then, both Sai and I whipped our attention towards the east side of the building where multiple, hurried footsteps were sounding – my fingers tightening on the warm, smooth hilt of my Kusanagi while Sai readied his stance for any number of things as a result.

"Sasuke-kun! Sai-kun!! Over here!" Rock Lee suddenly yelled at the top of his lungs at the pair of us while I replaced my beloved sword back in its scabbard on my back and Sai relaxed as we watched the green-clad, thickly-browed ninja run to us, waving his bandaged arm all the while.

"Lee-kun, how are things on your end?" Sai asked calmly, as if he had not just been shaking out of his skin a few moments ago.

"We have succeeded in apprehending our target, but he did not have the scroll with him," Lee reported faithfully with a clenching of his fist that he brought up in front of him – his ever-lasting and fiery determination somewhat moving as it was annoying.

"That must mean that one of these guys here has it, then," I said aloud before crouching down to the thieves currently napping by our feet before efficiently opening up one man's shoulder-pack and rummaging around inside, letting my fingers touch over the contents to determine if it was what we were seeking or not.

Nothing.

I abandoned this man as he had no other packs on him and instead unclipped the little button to the weapon pouch that was on the man whom I had defeated.

A scroll…

My eyes widened as I hastily pulled it out for all to see before I rose to my feet with a slender, intricately-designed scroll lying in my palm – the covering of the scroll a work of art in itself as it had a rich, navy background that was decorated with swirling, golden dragons with shiny white and pink flowers appearing here and there.

This scroll was marvelously painted and I could only imagine what was inside…but that was not my duty, so I willed myself not to trouble myself with the thought too much.

"Yes! We found it!!" Lee shouted victoriously as he punched the air above his head in blatant, unabashed glee while he laughed cheerfully.

"Jeeze; hasn't everyone ever told you about 'tact'?" came Shikamaru's gloomy, sarcastic voice as the lazy ninja strolled up to us; his hands comfortably inside his pants pockets as he joined our little meeting.

Dutifully, loyally, as soon as Shikamaru was in front of me, I handed over the scroll to him which he accepted good-naturally and stowed away in his own weapon pouch.

"Good work, everyone," Shikamaru appraised in that grumbled voice of his as he looked each one of us in the eye before continuing; "I say we turn these guys into the authorities here and then call it a day…I'm beat."

I smirked at Shikamaru's justification for us setting up camp somewhere; typical of such a lazy, easy-going ninja; as we all voiced our agreements before making to gather up our things, secure the rogue ninja we had succeeded in besting, and then hauling them off to the local authorities so they could take care of them.

Shikamaru had reasoned with us that since they are rogue ninja, thereby not having any ties to one, known country, the men had stolen one of our most valuable scrolls in order to sell it for money versus being loyal to some cause to overthrow Konoha – the very reason why we were not taking them back to the village with us and had decided to let the nearest police deal with them.

Possibly unlike Lee, Shikamaru and I were both very grateful at the lack of complications going along with this mission…anything that would prove to be too troublesome.

A rich, cool night was already upon the four of us as we had trekked back a little ways into the woods and just finished setting up a large, grey tent; sleeping bags getting unrolled and situated by me as Shikamaru made a small fire outside, Lee gathered some branches, while Sai was busy catching fish at a nearby stream for our dinner.

Having completed setting things up inside the warm, surprisingly comfortable tent, I shuffled outside to join Shikamaru as he poked and prodded as our campfire with a much longer stick, moving around the various logs and twigs so everything would burn evenly, as he sat on the ground with his legs bent out in front of him.

"You mind if I ask you a serious question?" Shikamaru suddenly chimed to me as he never took his eyes off of the fire as I sat down next to him, sighing upon doing so out of relief of being off my feet for once.

"Sure," I responded, sort of dreading how this might turn out, but still willing to hear out my squad superior and whatever was on his mind.

The fire cackled merrily out in front of us, warming us and providing a brilliant myriad of bright orange and sharp, electric blue that fought and struggled with the pressing ink of night that surrounded us, dissolving everything else in its murky grasp with our small camp not being an exception.

"Was it worth it?" the shadow-user said coolly as he turned his dark brown eyes towards mine, the sincerity and ice in his seemingly half-finished words striking me within my chest as I could not help but meet his gaze with my own and swallow hard; knowing the meaning behind the blank spaces and things not specifically said aloud.

Becoming a bit nervous, I dropped his gaze and ran a hand through my messy, black and blue-tinted spikes while I pondered briefly as to how to answer such a complex question – a question that I had myself countless times over the years.

"I don't know," I said honestly as I avoided his gaze that I knew was still on me as I continued to sift through the shorter spikes at the back of my neck, "…I'd like to think that it was, but…sometimes, I don't know."

"Hmm, I can respect that, I guess," Shikamaru replied as he instead dipped his head back a little bit and focused his attention to the vast but blackened skies above, the innumerable stars twinkling joyously as if in some kind of ironic gesture against the bleakness of the all-consuming sky.

"Sorry," I suddenly said aloud to him, my hands in my lap and out of my hair now as I felt almost sheepish and bashful talking like this to the laid-back team leader.

This regained his avid attention.

"What do you mean?" he pressed, probably more confused than curious about why that word had just flown out of my mouth out of nowhere.

I grimaced, finding it extremely difficult to say this out loud while I looked the opposite way from where he was sitting.

"I mean when you and the guys went after me…when I first left…I'm sorry," I replied brokenly, not even knowing if what I had said made any real sense to the Nara or not.

After a silent, weighty moment, an elbow was playfully nudged against my own, making my whole, sitting body sort of sway from side-to-side before I righted myself and looked upon the team leader once more.

"Don't sweat it, Sasuke;" Shikamaru said with a pleasant half-grin on his face as I observed his face while he spoke so kindly to me, "it's all in the past anyway. However…I do have one minor stipulation…"

"Yeah?" I asked, finding myself also smirking at the shadow-user as his tone was obviously hinting at a bit of humor as we continued like this.

With cool, brown eyes boring right into mine and with a raised eyebrow, Shikamaru said, "If you ever hurt Naruto again, I'll kill you."

My grin softened, along with my steady, coal-colored gaze at the completely serious shadow-user and his genuinely concerned and all-knowing statement before I replied truthfully, "If that ever happens, I'll let you."

"Fair enough," Shikamaru concluded as he turned his eyes back towards the sky above, leaving me to continue grinning by myself as I reflected on all of our comments and our now present understanding of one another.

"I'm back," Sai suddenly said to Shikamaru and me; his arms full of fish while one hand held a yellow metal teapot full of water to boil.

"Hey," Shikamaru greeted casually as he handed over some extra sticks to the painter so he could run them through the fish he had caught and then position them over the fire.

I only watched the two Leaf ninja readying things for our meal for a second more before flopping down to rest on fully my back, my fingers interlaced and cradling the back of my head as I relaxed against the cool ground.

I took a deep, calming breath as I felt absolutely no tension within me for the first time in a long time; everything peaceful, everything so blissfully right and soothing, as I was joined by my comrades, people I could actually talk to and depend on who would smile at me and make jokes with me like I was their friend, while I was troubled with absolutely nothing.

Before I truly registered it, my eyes had closed, my breathing evening out as I inhaled and exhaled the crisp night air with all of its comforting, familiar aromas – the sharpness of the dried leaves on the ground, the light, fresh scent of the surrounding grass, the thick, musky aroma from the tall, endless trees.

"Has Sasuke-kun fallen asleep?" Lee's voice abruptly rang out for practically everyone in Fire Country to hear, making me snap my eyes open at once but only to be met with Lee's worried face right in my line of vision as the taijutsu master was obviously leaning over me and peering into my face.

"No, I was just resting, Lee," I answered a little groggily as I made to sit back up, my eyes immediately seeing how our modest dinner was ready as the fish were completely cooked on their respective skewers and tea had already been poured into small, ceramic cups for all of us.

Now sitting up but still feeling incredibly tired, Lee obligingly sat down right next to me, smiling happily, as he extended out one of the fire-seared fish towards me for me to eat.

"Here you are, Sasuke-kun. Enjoy!" Lee said to me, pleased with himself as I accepted the food from him with a gracious smirk and said a quiet 'thanks.'

The four of us ate in a comfortable silence, finishing our servings of fish in an unhurried and normal manner as we all were just content on eating with each other and still being the team that we were – tea being passed around in the process to any man that wanted it.

I accepted a cup of tea as well, sipping the hot liquid until it was gone as it warmed my throat, cleared my head, and generally made me feel even better…even more part of the group.

As soon as everyone was done eating, the cups and other utensils were gathered up and stowed away in our packs as Shikamaru had suggested that we all get some rest so we could head out early tomorrow and return to Konoha.

Everyone readily agreed, and it came as no surprise that Shikamaru was the first to crawl inside the tent to go to sleep, mumbling 'good-night' and something about how troublesome we all were.

The fire was put out, thereby eradicating any light and means of illumination whatsoever from around us, and I was barely able to see my hand out in front of me while I could only focus on the sounds blatantly made by Lee as he scooted his way inside the tent, telling everyone to have a 'youthful sleep' or some other nonsense.

"Good-night, Sasuke-kun," Sai said from somewhere out in front of me, leading me to believe that I would be the last one to enter the tent if he was already closer to it than I was, "…it was a pleasure working with you today."

"Oh…yeah," I responded, feeling a bit uncomfortable since I really could not see the painter as we spoke, coupled with how his words sounded sort of…loaded to my ears, like there was another meaning going along with them that I could not ascertain straight away, "…you too. Good-night."

Suddenly, out of literally nowhere, I felt petal-soft lips gently press themselves to my cheek, kissing my chilled flesh with such delicacy that my breath caught in my throat and I was frozen standing in my place.

However, immediately following Sai's 'good-night kiss' to the curve of my cheek, I heard the scratchy fabric of the tent being moved around, signaling to me that he had entered the temporary-resting facility now and had left me all alone to my own disorientation and disabling shock.

I shivered a little under the cold, now being completely alone in the dense and impossibly dark forest; suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable; before swallowing the spit that had gathered in the back of my throat – my body cautiously navigating inside the tent as soon as I willed myself to move towards it.

"_Well, that was weird,"_ I mentally commented, telling myself to think nothing of Sai's strange action since he just generally was a strange person, as I carefully maneuvered around sleeping bags and the snoozing bodies inside them as I zipped up the flaps around the entrance of the tent and then sought out my own space in which to sleep.

Without really knowing who was who inside the tent and already lying down, I found a vacant spot in between two of my teammates and slowly began lying down my weary body as well, shifting inside the soft, squishy sleeping bag there; sighing silently as I did and was finally able to relax and take the stress out of my muscles again.

Almost immediately after lying down my head and moving my legs into one of my favorite sleeping positions inside my blissfully comfortable and accommodating sleeping bag, my eyes started to close; sleep already making itself known to me as I felt it consuming my every fiber in a pleasant and tender embrace that soothed me to no end.

In no time, the four of us, each skilled in our own, personal shinobi craft to deadly precision from years of grueling training and heart-crushing sacrifice; were sound asleep all bundled together, blanket-covered limbs pressed lightly together from all sides as we just barely fit inside our peaceful tent as we slept the remainder of the night away.

X

The next morning…

"Yes! I can see the front gate right now!!" Lee announced for all of us to hear as the four of us continued to leap with blinding speed through the trees, approaching Konoha at last with our successfully-retrieved scroll of obviously high value still inside Shikamaru's weapon pouch.

"Alright, let's head straight to Lady Tsunade," Shikamaru added as we swiftly bypassed the large, opened double doors leading into the Village Hidden in the Leaves and began adjusting our speed to that which the slanted rooftops as we made out ways towards the Hokage Tower at just about at the opposite end of the enclosed territory.

After only another minute of rushed, skillful sprinting by Rock Lee, Shikamaru, Sai, and myself through the expansive, impressively-sized and maintained village, we finally entered the Hokage's circular office, one by one, as formally as we could despite being a little jittery and out of breath.

Shikamaru was quick to hand over the beautifully-decorated scroll we had taken back from our intruders, saying how, "There were four rogue ninja in total, but after defeating them; we left them to the local authorities."

"Thank you for your hard work, all of you," the Fifth Hokage stated evenly as she looked appreciatively at all of us before adding, "you are dismissed."

I believe we all breathed out a sigh of relief as we filed out of Lady Tsunade's cluttered, paper-filled office; ready to be immersed in that lovely, invigorating sunshine once more and return to our respective homes to recuperate on our own time.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sai suddenly said to me once we were all outside and had naturally parted ways to go do our own thing as Shikamaru had mentioned heading home, Lee went out to seek Gai-sensei, and I had just taken to standing there outside the Hokage Tower on the steps, breathing in the warm, afternoon air as I had done a few other times before to clear my head and gain some sense of balance before I moved any further.

"Yes? What is it?" I responded as I turned my attention towards the pale, black-clad artist who was standing directly on my right, looking at me with those emotionless, unwavering black eyes of his that unnerved me thoroughly as I maintained his gaze and ruefully remembered what had transpired between us the night before, however brief and meaningless it had been.

"I…was wondering if you'd like to come home with me," Sai practically purred to me as he slipped even closer to me as I felt his slender fingers trail from my hand up wrist and back down my forearm – the gesture setting off all kinds of red flags inside my mind as I trembled away from his touch and looked him straight in his face.

"You know that Naruto and I are…together, right?" I offered as gently as I could to the stoic painter as I suddenly became very aware of how close he was standing to me and where his hands were.

"Oh; I hadn't realized," Sai said; his voice sounding a little surprised as his eyebrows rose up slightly as he continued speaking calmly to me, but now with a little more impersonal tone to his words, "I wish you both the best of luck, then."

My shoulders visibly relaxed as Sai grinned his usual, carefree grin at me like nothing had happened at all as I willed the tingling in the arm that he had touched to go away as I calmed down.

"Thank you," I murmured, already turning away from the smiling young man as I began to sprint off towards Kakashi's apartment; in desperate need of a sense of normalcy that I knew I could draw from the silver-haired jounin and all his wise-cracking wisdom that always seemed to meet my own head-on.

In no time, I was standing on the concrete, outer-walkway, facing Kakashi's front door for a moment while I took another deep breath, trying to rid myself of all negative thoughts since I was back home at last and was about to be in the company of someone I held particularly dear to me.

Feeling genuinely better by the time I opened my eyes and had released all of my air, I opened the door and casually stepped inside the familiar, comforting abode.

"Hey dad, I'm back," I called out as I kept my head lowered towards the floor as I closed the door behind me and was already toeing my shoes off on the tiled area before stepping onto the carpet.

"Sasuke…"Kakashi said from the loveseat a little ways ahead of me; his tone deathly serious and steady; making me whip my head up from my work to seek him out questioningly.

My coal-colored eyes widened as I saw Kakashi sitting with Haruno Sakura; both looking equally distraught and troubled; before Sakura rose up from her spot on the couch and walked briskly over to me.

Her bright, green eyes were clouded over with tears and great distress as she stared at me intently, before quickly bringing her palm around and smacking me hard across the face; making my head turn in the opposite direction from the rather foreseeable action…nothing I knew I did not deserve.

However, immediately after delivering me such a personal and meaningful blow, Sakura; dressed in a bright, red vest, white T-shirt underneath, and matted-pink skirt; dove into my arms to embrace me in a desperate, sorrowful hug that had been probably put off for far too long.

My gaze drifted off to a side, my very soul suddenly feeling entirely burdened and guilt-stricken, as I gingerly wrapped my arms around the sobbing young woman currently squeezing me with her arms and burying her pink head against my chest; her sobs were silent but powerful as they coursed right through me as I could feel her heavy tears soak into my green jacket.

Slowly, still with sharp sobs making her small frame shudder in my arms, Sakura raised her head from my chest and peered her sea-foam green eyes right into mine as she said," It's Naruto…he hasn't come out of his room since you left!"

My lips parted as my jaw fell open in disbelief.

Quickly, I looked towards Kakashi who was still seated on the loveseat; only to catch him give me a knowing, understand nod of his head so I may know that I should do exactly what I was thinking.

"Sakura," I address softly as I took each of her quivering shoulders in my hands and gently pried the emotionally unstable girl off of me so I could look her directly in the face before I continued, "we'll catch up later, I promise…but right now, I need to go to him. Alright?"

I had purposefully ended my speech with a question, prompting my old comrade to quickly nod her head up and down a few times in response, before I swiftly stepped back into my shoes and rushed out of the door once more.

Following a path amidst the rooftops that I knew all-too well towards Naruto's apartment, I sprinted as fast as my powerful legs would carry me; worried, horrified thoughts panging inside my chest, tormenting my brain, and making my stomach tighten painfully in the process as I could not help but fear the absolute worst about the kitsune.

I prayed that he was alright…I needed for him to be alright…

Just like all the other times I had arrived at Naruto's place to pick him up for one of our dates, I landed soundlessly onto his balcony, but this time, I was already sliding open the blonde's glass door so I may enter his apartment on my own as I called out, "Naruto? It's me; I'm coming in…"

However, much to my complete surprise, as soon as I stepped inside the dimly-lit but extremely familiar and comforting apartment, two, strong hands quickly seized around my wrists and threw me on top of the nearby bed; making me gasp at being handled so roughly so abruptly.

Piercing but stunning blue eyes were boring straight into mine as Naruto did not even speak a word to me before I felt him place two thick, metal handcuffs onto both of my wrists; immediately latching them onto one of the cast-iron bars that made up his headboard – Naruto's weight settling on top of my hips as soon as I heard a small but alarming 'clink' of metal against metal.

I instinctively pulled at the restraints that almost covered my entire wrists as they were so thick and wide, but stopped and let my mouth fall open as I instantly registered how I could feel my chakra subsiding; leaving me in large quantities; and rendering me feeling rapidly drained and exhausted, as if I was losing my own blood from my veins.

"Naruto…what…" I tried, despite how light-headed and fatigued I was currently becoming at a frightening rate as my whole body practically went limp on top of the fox's bed with said person still glaring dangerously down at me as he continued to sit up straight on my lap.

Little did I know that that narrowed and silently raging expression Naruto was directing down at me was the exact same one that he had had as he had seen what Sai had done to me earlier, as the sly fox had been secretly watching for my team's return from the Hokage's Tower this morning.

I fixed my half-lidded, weary eyes on the fiery kitsune as he glared down at me, baring his fangs as tears threatened to well up in those breathtaking eyes of his…eyes so bold and lovely that made him look like he wanted to kill me right now.

X

_Author's Note_: Oh jeeze, I have…no idea what I'm doing anymore lolol. Prepare for Naruto's breaking point, yes? Thanks for reading and any input you have would be most appreciated and such. Cheers!


	6. Chapter 6

"_When you're taught through feelings… / Destiny flying high above / All I know is that you can realize / Destiny who cares / As it turns around / And I know that it descends down on me."_ – Lacuna Coil

Chapter Six

_**Sasuke's POV**_

_Little did I know that that narrowed and silently raging expression Naruto was directing down at me was the exact same one that he had had as he had seen what Sai had done to me earlier, as the sly fox had been secretly watching for my team's return from the Hokage's Tower this morning._

_I fixed my half-lidded, weary eyes on the fiery kitsune as he glared down at me, baring his fangs as tears threatened to well up in those breathtaking eyes of his…eyes that made him look like he wanted to kill me right now._

"Just what exactly is Sai to you?" Naruto growled down ferociously at my rapidly tiring form; my eyes wide and troubled with unimaginable shock as I peered up at the trembling kitsune as he obviously fought to control himself, "Tell me! You need to tell me right now what you guys did and…"

"Nothing, Naruto! I swear!!" I shouted up to him to the best of my subsiding ability; the chakra-draining shackles around my wrists proving to be much more powerful that I had expected as I had only just managed to make such an exclamation.

"Don't lie to me!!" Naruto roared, sending chills all over my body as he vicious latched his hands onto the front of my vest and shirt and hastily tore all the thick, durable fabric in half that easily draped off my chest and stomach in shredded tatters of material.

"Naruto…you need to…take these off…my chakra is leaving me too quickly," I pleaded as my I felt my eyes begin to droop with a staggering weight that threatened to make my whole body go lax and unresponsive.

"Too bad…not until we're done…"Naruto snapped back aggressively, gritting his immaculate, white teeth at me as he forcefully yanked my pants down my toned but unmoving legs, chucking the dark article of clothing behind his shoulder uncaringly.

Naruto's striking blue eyes were savage with anger, lust, and possessiveness as he looked up at my bared, panting form as I had my pale, strong arms still shackled up over my head which made the rest of my body be stretched tight on top of Naruto's mattress.

"I couldn't help it; I started to feel so…so horrible when you left for your mission…it felt like you were leaving the village again…leaving me!" Naruto began bitterly as he carefully pulled his own shirt from his body as he spoke, followed by his dark-blue pants that he kicked away, "…so, I went to meet you at the Hokage Tower…and that's when I saw you with Sai, Sasuke!"

After practically growling the last bit out to my fatigued but wholly disheartened form lying helplessly on his bed, Naruto had started to silently cry as he moved back on top of me; everything about what was going on and what he had just confessed to me making me speechless and utterly thoughtless.

"W-wait…Naruto, you have to understand something," I forced my genius mind to piece together quickly in order to stop Naruto from doing something he might later regret, "…yes, Sai did try to make a move on me, but I told him that you and I are together and he backed off!"

Naruto's tears continued to slowly trail down tanned, whiskered cheeks as the kitsune's initial rage had evidently turned into something else…something much deeper, as his eyes were half-lidded and hollow as he further settled his weight on top of me.

"It doesn't matter anymore…"Naruto offered plainly before crushing his lips down upon my own rose-petal pair with such determined force that thoroughly shocked my being as it was frightfully telling of just how desperate Naruto was to assert that I belonged only to him.

Naruto forced his tongue passed my puckered lips, instantly swirling our warm, wet muscles together that quickly had my physically drained physique tingling with sharp, vibrant need rather easily under Naruto's harsh, demanding treatment of me, pleasing my weakening self increasingly fast as he sought out to practically make me come apart for him with only his lips and tongue.

I mindlessly purred into Naruto's talented mouth, loving it every time the fox stroked his tongue slowly against my own, making me unconsciously pull against my restraints in more futile attempts to touch the warm, smooth skin of the young man on top of me, currently igniting my whole body on fire with his excessively lustful teases to my sensitive lips.

Suddenly, as Naruto and I simultaneously switched the positions of our heads so we may attack the other man's mouth at a different angle, I gasped against Naruto's parted, impatient lips as I felt Naruto's hand unabashedly seize my growing arousal and stroke the hardening flesh in his hand with firm, resilient ministrations – his eyes keen and unblinking as he watched my every facial reaction from above as I kept my mouth parted as I panted my pleasure.

My heated and positively inebriated body shuddered from such direct stimulation, feeling my rigid length begin to pulsate inside Naruto's pumping hand as the fox dipped his spiky blonde head down and began skillfully moving his tongue all over my exposed throat, licking and lapping at the long lines of sinew and perfectly sculpt flesh there with long, sizzling drags of his tongue that made my own straining cock twitch wantonly in response.

"...mmn…N-Naruto…please…" I pleaded, unable to finish my thought of wanting to ask my torturous captor to release me from my bindings, my body being racked with another onslaught of red-hot, trembling sensations as Naruto bit down hard on the flat, solid planes of my chest and ran his tongue over the aching, reddened areas – all the tedious pleasure, followed by brief encounters with erotic pain starting to make my vision blur and mouth run dry as Naruto's praiseful, measured ministrations to my restrained body were quickly consuming me, swallowing me whole without any chance to consider otherwise.

"You're mine…not anyone else's…"Naruto growled darkly, possessively as he pulled his lips away from my panting, gasping form underneath him, giving my throbbing cock a reaffirming squeeze as if to emphasize his point.

All at once, Naruto removed his pleasuring hand from my leaking cock and swiftly shifted his weight to my lap, sitting up straight on top of my thighs, and allowing my weary but lust-stricken eyes to completely behold how incredibly hard for me the tanned, unbearably fit and trim kitsune was despite not having been touched at all.

My stunning, ash-colored eyes momentarily widened as I was just about to say something, possibly another warning to the fox, but my words died early in my throat as Naruto leaned his body backwards, reached behind himself, and seized my cock at its base in his hand, the act making him stretch his lean body even more before me as I felt another jolt of electric pleasure from having him grip my cock in such a no-nonsense manner as he had.

Again, I tugged weakly at my metal shackles, hating them immensely as I wanted so desperately to be able to help the fox with his task and finally be able to feel his expertly honed but silken flesh under my hands, as my mouth fell open and hazed mind was rendered completely useless as I could only watch as Naruto sexily arched his body and tipped his head back, easing my large, weeping member right into his tight, un-stretched entrance…wanting to feel the sharp thrills of pain to mix with his pleasure.

"Oh, shit…wait, Naruto…you have to wai…mmn...God…" I blurted out before ending my statement with breathy groans as my own unkempt raven head fell back against the brightly-colored pillows in indescribable pleasure as I felt my whole length being sheathed inside my beautiful, deathly-erotic lover who had stilled in his brilliant arching position once fully seated on top of my warm hips.

I watched, fascinated as well as completely concerned, as Naruto's handsome, lined face went from contorted in sheer pain to relaxing in content pleasure as the kitsune placed his hands on each of my parted, well-muscled thighs for leverage and carefully lifted his ass a little bit off of my lap so he may begin a pace of easing my cock in and out of his own body.

I shivered as I felt most of my hard, moistened cock slide out of Naruto's maddeningly textured heat before the blonde grinded his hips back down into mine, instantly making the both of us moan out in surprising, astounding pleasure; my mind still wholly unable to come up with anything productive to say to the troubled but incredibly sexy kitsune currently riding my cock in the most sinful of ways.

While my usually sharp and quick-witted mind was still wholly unable to register much else other than how impossibly wonderful it was to have Naruto ride me as he was on top of his cloud-like bed; the very scent of his flesh having becoming much more deeper and earthier as he moaned throatily each time my cock fully penetrating his tight entrance again; all of my other coherent thoughts, problems, subtle worries, anything…just seemed to not exist as I realized that I was happily obliging Naruto's crave-worthy demands, utterly losing myself to everything having to do with the fiery blonde as I could not help but relish in every time the sexy fox found such intimate, piercing pleasure from my own body.

My own lips were kept parted, my face contorted as if in concentration, as I watched how Naruto's thick, sculpt thighs would softly tremble around my own legs as he ground his ass back down against my lap; seeking mind-stopping, white-hot pleasure in having the tip of my throbbing cock brush up against his sweet spot; coupled with how his perfectly taut abdomen muscles would flex deliciously as he moved his body on top of mine.

I knew I had completely lost to this man and his wishes – his every action proving to be far too arousing for my coal-black eyes and soul to handle with a clear conscious and stable sense…but oh, how sweet surrendering could be sometimes.

"Ohh…Sasu…ke…mmn," Naruto groaned, his slightly flushed face angled upwards towards the ceiling even though he kept his half-lidded, bright blue eyes glued to my face as he continued to grind his ass purposefully slow and measured against my groin, allowing my positively begging member to slide in and out of that addicting, hot entrance at a mind-breaking pace.

It was all beginning to be way too much; the sheer sight of Naruto slowly impaling himself upon my cock as he kept his lustful eyes boring straight into mine, the feeling of the blonde's almost painfully tight walls massaging up and down my length at a pace that served to only drive even more crazy and wanton, the inability to use my arms and strength so I could ravish my lover as I was desperately wanting to at the moment, the thickening aroma of our sex as it filled his modest, cluttered abode…everything was beginning to bring me only epic quantities of insanity rather than truly satisfying pleasure.

Also, I knew I could not take too many more sensuous calls of my name from Naruto's tempting lips…not as a sane person anyway.

As if a twisted taunt to my current mental berating of the bittersweet situation that was threatening to make me a complete madman, Naruto planted his hands on the bed behind his back, in between my legs, and spread his own legs even wider for me, allowing me to see just how my cock penetrated his stretched, wide entrance over and over again as he continued to use his wet, warm insides to squeeze slowly up and down my practically begging length.

That did it.

I briefly relaxed my every muscle, quickly sucking in a bit of air through my nose, before clenching my hands together in tight, unforgiving fists, as I pulled at my restraints with every single ounce of strength I could muster; successfully breaking the metal clamps and allowing me to sit up straight in a blur of movement.

Naruto did not seemed surprised at all, only massively pleased, as I instantly wrapped both of my long, tattooed arms around his middle and began taking the initiative to thrust inside of his tempting, little body with much harder pushes and pulls of my cock that had him immediately screaming sensually to the ceiling as he clawed at my shoulders.

Already, my overly-sensitive body and mind were starting to feel better, finding some degree of feather-soft satisfaction just from finally being able to hold him in my arms and make love to him as I had wanted, with much more intensity and pleasure to tingle and tear through both of us, as I also groaned against Naruto's collarbone while I mercilessly pounded our hips together, clutching his slender back the entire time.

"Of course I'm yours, Naruto…" I panted out to his frantically bouncing, grinding body as I glanced up into his pleasure-laden face as his moans seemed to topple over each other the faster I moved my straining member into his quivering, moistened entrance, "…I promised I wouldn't leave you again and I meant it…I'm always going to come back to you…just you…"

"Sasuke…ahh…!" Naruto moaned loudly before dropping his face to be closer to mine, our warm breath mixing sensuously as I looked up into his closed eyes and parted, panting lips; his powerful legs hugging my sides as a sign that my blonde-haired lover was getting dangerously close to reaching his climax right there in my crushing, relentless embrace.

"Nnh…say it again, Naruto…say my name again…"I purred, feeling cracks of startling, electric lightening course through my already frustrated, begging systems, making my testicles tighten with the urgent, pressing need to experience relief as I tightened my hold around his lithe, moving body.

Upon hearing my sultry, velvety words to him, the blonde kitsune opened his eyes for me, brought his lips down to mine a searing kiss that instantly sent even more fire to my hot, pulsating groin, before Naruto whined, "...mmn…Sasuke…"

I captured Naruto's parted lips again, practically adhering our two, sweating and grinding bodies together at the seams, while I felt my swollen cock suddenly release stream after stream of hot, milky essence as I continued to thrust madly into his constricting, sopping wet entrance that seemed to be coaxing me deeper into his body the more I came.

Upon feeling my rigid member suddenly flood his insides with my pearly, sticky completion, the fox consequently broke off of our sloppy, meaningful kiss as he tossed his head back to moan out my name again, scratching his nails down the curves of my shoulders, as his untouched, leaking member that had been rubbing consistently in between our rippled, toned stomachs released line after line of equally incandescent semen that sprang in obscure arcs across my chest and abdomen.

I loved it, seeing him come for me…every time, I absolutely loved it.

Despite my physical strength having returned back to me along with my precious chakra, I felt incredibly sated and pleased as I easily caught Naruto's slumping weight in my arms and made it so the exhausted fox's bright, spiky head could be cradled against my chest.

Gingerly, I brought up a hand and ran my fingers through long, unruly locks the color of sunshine; heavy, difficult words hot on my tongue to say to the kitsune currently nuzzling in my warm, protective arms and against my chest as Naruto got more comfortable in my lap.

"You scared me, Naruto…don't ever do that again," I said sincerely, the very conveyed thought not at all easy for me to admit that I had been particularly frightened for a moment as I had been shackled down and made to see such pain and malice in Naruto's usually cheery, shining face, "…the others, too…they were worried about you when you didn't leave your room."

I felt Naruto swallow hard against my shoulder as he listened to my words, taking in the implications and my plea for him not to resort to such desperate methods ever again.

"I'm sorry…Sasuke," Naruto confessed sadly, still facing away from me as he kept his cheek pressed against a little below my shoulder as he simply relaxed his body against mine, enjoying my heat, my comfort, my love, "I don't know what came over me…but…because I have your promise, I swear…I won't do that again. I'm sorry."

I audibly breathed easier, my previously fretting, troubled mind being put at complete ease now that I had Naruto's word since he trusted in what I had truthfully confessed to him earlier about always coming back to him, always belonging to him…no one else.

I smiled as I gently placed both of my hands on either of Naruto's relaxed shoulders so I may carefully pull him just far enough away from me where I could look into those beautiful blue eyes of his.

"Good," I said simply, still smiling at the fox within my grasp as I mindfully gave the top of his head a quick nudge with my chin so Naruto would lift his own head from my shoulder and meet my gaze, "…because there's been something I've been wanting to ask you."

No doubt in shock that I, Uchiha Sasuke, actually had something to ask him, Uzumaki Naruto, the kitsune's face instantly beamed with heavenly brightness as he raised both of his eyebrows and his lovely, ocean-blue eyes widened exponentially at my softly grinning face.

"W-what is it?!" Naruto could not help but practically shout in my face though I chose to ignore his overzealous attitude so I may go through with what I wanted to say to him before I lost my nerve.

Be it because of the great, exhausting, and mentally trying sex we had just got done having, which had me experiencing the greatest of lengths of endurance and pleasure any mere mortal could handle, my next words to the cheery, obviously uplifted blonde just slipped out of my mouth in a mindless, careless fashion that I, strangely, did not regret in the least.

"Well, as you may or may not know, my time with Kakashi is almost up since it's one of my provisions that I find a place of my own, so…I was wondering if…" I only managed to explain before suddenly feeling Naruto throw his arms around my head and shoulders and roughly squeezing my whole body to him with crushing, loving strength.

"Yes!! You don't have to say anymore; my answer is yes! Of course, you can live here!" Naruto exclaimed with pure, radiant sunlight in his voice as he nuzzled the side of his face against mine and continued to hold me tightly in his arms, my own slowly coming up to take his shoulders in my hands.

The both of us looked at each other once more, our faces only a hairsbreadth apart as I kept my ash-colored gaze directed unwaveringly in his smiling, exuberant blue ones – our foreheads naturally coming together to rest against one another as we both found incredible solace in having the other so intimately close and present right now.

"Thank you, Naruto," I whispered to the tanned young man still in my arms, sitting comfortably in my lap, as our glistening naked forms simply could not move away from each at the moment…not after what we had done and especially not after what had just been decided between us.

"Thank you, Sasuke," Naruto boomerang-ed back to me with a knowing smile instead of a traditional 'you're welcome,' which I automatically understood.

With us living together, it would bring the both of us peace of mind in knowing that we could be able to see each other more often, more intimately. Effectively, there would be no more worrying about the other so much, and our relationship would be able to seriously grow into something much more serious and solid by such a commitment.

I knew that Naruto had thanked me back because he was grateful for me providing him the opportunity to not be troubled so much when I was away…because I would always come back to him…right here, in his very home.

You're welcome, Naruto.

"Does this mean we have to clear it with the old lady first?" Naruto suddenly piped up, a slight disgruntled whine in his voice, making it even more adorable to hear his groundless complaint over something so uncomplicated.

I smiled as the both of us eased our heads back again and I was able to take in the very endearing sight of Naruto pouting cutely before saying, "Yep. We should probably head over there before it gets too late."

"Ugh…"Naruto grumbled, followed by a barely audible 'yeah yeah' as the two of us began carefully detaching our sweaty, sticky limbs from the other and attempt to stand up.

Immediately, even though my eyes were busy watching Naruto's tired but alluring form stretch out as he stood up from the bed with me following suit, an important thought struck me…making my body sort of still and my ribcage feel rather uncomfortable at the internal prospect.

"Naruto, before we do this…I have to…say good-bye to Kakashi," I said glumly, the discomfort in my sides only relieving a little bit when I saw the beautiful kitsune smile at me with such genuine understanding in his expression as to why that had been so hard for to say just now.

"I know; we will…but before we do anything…"Naruto said merrily, his gaze turning pseudo-sharply at me as he eyed my pale, muscled, and tattooed form before him, "…we need a shower."

I rolled my eyes at his hint of sick humor, a smirk gracing my lips, before I quickly wet them with my tongue and replied mock-dryly, "When you're right, you're right."

X

Six minutes and thirteen seconds later…

Under the blissfully warm spray of water, Naruto and I could not keep our hands off each other as we both were content to just let the pouring rain soak into our bodies while we continued to press kiss after to kiss to the opposite man.

My naturally spiky black hair hung thickly down around my face and neck as I kept both of my hands on either side of Naruto's nicely-structured jaw, enabling me to tilt and maneuver his head as I pleased as I kept my dripping lips adhered to his own in a flurry of short, needy kisses that spoke of how I just wanted to savor his flesh, his spirit, his everything.

Naruto's sopping wet form was maddeningly pressed against my own, our two deadly and well-trained bodies heated and slick from under the warm shower, as he squeezed his strong hands up and down the wide planes of my back encouragingly.

I could not get enough of this man…his soul tasted too good, too sweet.

Naruto had his eyes closed and his lips parted for me as I dreamily looked upon his dark face, matted cutely with his fallen, moist locks of bright blonde hair, as I stroked the pads of my thumbs over his cheekbones, and was able to just truly stop thinking about anything else in the world.

Suddenly, in a blinding display of being overcome with far too many emotional pulls for me to handle, I dropped to a knee in front of the kitsune, purposefully casting my dreamy, onyx gaze up at his surprised face as I trailed my hands down the tantalizing curves of his sides until I reached his hips.

Naruto shuddered underneath my slick touch as I kept my hands holding onto his waist, my lips pressing kiss after kiss to his lower abdomen, desiring for the blue-eyed man to tremble even more for me.

With slow, teasing ministrations, I kissed lower and lower down Naruto's warm, moist body, the kitsune bracing himself on the shower wall behind him, as I stuck out my tongue and made lingering, languid strokes over his growing arousal before me.

"S-Sasu…ke…"Naruto stammered, his thighs unconsciously parting even more as I let my tongue glide up and down Naruto's growing length, closing my lips slowly against his heated, rigid flesh so I may place chaste kisses along the smooth shaft where I pleased.

I smirked as I felt Naruto's body grant my wish and shake a little harder underneath my hands, my lips, before I slipped the throbbing head of the blonde's length inside my mouth and sucked slightly on the leaking tip, swirling my tongue around the silken flesh in the process.

"Oh…f-fuck, Sasuke…mmn…"Naruto purred, all but melting against that white tiled wall as I took more and more of his thick, erect member down my throat, my hands lying flat against the finely-muscled grooves of his body as I ran them heavily over his trim sides and abdomen.

Letting his cock slide in and out of my mouth a little faster, I squeezed the sides of Naruto's thighs, massaging them with my long, strong fingers as I felt him tense from my increasingly urgent and coaxing ministrations before he stretched his body tight as he groaned his pleasure inside that shower.

"Haa…ah…ahh…"Naruto gasped and moaned for me against the soft but constant sound of the raining water that continued to soak our bodies, making our skin slippery to the touch and glistening with line after line of clear, trailing fluid that seemed to practically map out our delightfully sculpt but slender muscles.

I was positively in love with hearing Naruto moan so sporadically and desperately as he was as his breathing had become much heavier and I could almost feel his blood speeding through his veins as I continued to bob my head up and down his throbbing, begging length, digging my tongue into the sensitive undersides as I pursed my lips tight around his flesh and sucked hard.

Naruto's whole body was trembling drastically, his groans seeming to have increased in frequency and volume, and I instinctively pulled my lips away from Naruto's twitching length, making all of Naruto's symptoms instantly decrease as I removed all means of his pleasure in one, swift move.

Still kneeling down, I locked my fierce, demanding eyes with Naruto's half-lidded and somewhat dazed ones before saying solidly, "Turn around."

Naruto did as instructed, turning around in his spot and automatically placing his hands up against the shower wall as his sinfully tempting body was already bending over to oblige me and my wishes.

"Mmm…"I growled lowly as I seized Naruto's supple ass in my hands, making him bend down a little more for me as I licked my lips at both the heavenly sight before me and at the prospect of what I was planning to do to him.

Naruto's tanned, battle-hardened form contrasted greatly against the overall white of the shower as he remained bent over for me as he was, his arms stretched out before him as he kept his hands planted against the tiled wall, but I only gave the highly-erotic view a quick glance before plunging my tongue deep inside Naruto's previously stretched entrance.

"Ohhh, Sasuke…ahhh!" Naruto moaned shamelessly, his face showing that of pure, unbridled ecstasy as I sought to further moisten his prepared entrance, rolling my wet tongue just inside his warm, convulsing entrance and enjoying every time his toes curled and his back arched in a maddening display of sinfully dark pleasure.

My grip on the sides of Naruto's firm, round ass had mindlessly become much stronger as I could practically feel his body begging me to enter him again as I placed lick after lick with my tongue all around the sensitive, pink area of his entrance, delighting in how the kitsune would quiver for me every time.

Hastily, I stood up to my full height and gave my own throbbing member a few pumps in my hand before leaning over Naruto's provocative form and placing my hands over his own against the shower wall.

"Sasu…please…"Naruto breathed, turning his head to the side as I placed my lips by his cheek, my erection teasingly rubbing against his ass as I proceeded to grind my body against his for a moment, relishing in his warmth and this inexplicably intoxicating moment that was already making me feel pillow-soft pleasure and anxious rushes of adrenaline that kept me on that wonderful cloud nine.

And it was at this moment…that something happened; some kind of sharp, riveting jolt that could not be seen on the outside as the impression happened deep inside of me.

Perhaps it was brought on by the sheer force with which Naruto's plea had rattled me amidst such a gripping, too-good-to-be-true moment between us…I am not really sure, but there it was, like an all-consuming wave of mindless, nameless euphoria that had made my body freeze in an instant.

With almost as much intensity as physically feeling a bone fracture inside one's body, I felt something…break within me but with no pain to be felt as a consequence. In fact, the result of such a brief but jarring sensation was the complete opposite from pain and anguish, as I unconsciously absorbed extreme relief, weightlessness, and felt such harmony that I had never known before.

Within the cloudy space of a tiny second, and with my mind not fully comprehending why or what I should do, I had realized that what had happened to me was that I had…reached a breaking point with myself.

Like precious oxygen finally being granted to a choking, gasping man, I had felt something basically give inside my own body, my own soul, with so much tremendous strength that I was even made able to breath easier, not even having to worry about processing troubling, counterproductive thoughts, as the only thing that mattered to me…was the very moment that I was in with Naruto.

Having experienced so much with the ever-smiling and joyous blonde who acted in ways that spoke of love, protectiveness, and care towards me without hesitation, shame, or prejudice, it was no wonder that my mind had been unmistakably changed…changed for the better.

Perhaps…the thing that had really broken…was my pride, for the very same weightlessness that I felt directly afterward realizing the phenomena…made me feel like a whole new man.

As my grand, distinct revelation only lasted for a short moment, probably something Naruto had not even noticed, I smirked as I recovered from my initial bewilderment and shock, finding it totally fitting that one such as myself…who have to break first in order to become whole, to realize pure happiness when it had always been right in front of me.

With a forceful, demanding snap forward of my hips, I drove my begging member deep inside Naruto's body, making him instantly arch his back against my dripping chest as I squeezed his hands in mine soothingly.

"Naruto…tell me what you want me to do, and I'll do it…"I confessed breathlessly as I already started a pace of brutally forcing my straining cock deep inside his stretched, saturated entrance with an almost desperate, frantic speed…just like my words to him that just seemed to flow right out of my mouth, "…anything, nnh…I'll do anything…just to see you smile for me…so, please…"

"Ahh, Sasuke…ah…!" Naruto screamed, rocking his hips back to meet every one of my sharp, harsh thrusts, making me consistently feel jolt after jolt of white-hot pleasure zing all over my body to have him grind against my groin as I continued to make hurried, emotional love to him.

"…please, baby…whatever you want me to do…"I went on, far too caught up in everything I was experiencing with my oldest friend, dearest rival, and best lover to realize that I was, in fact, breathlessly rambling to the panting, quivering blonde before me, "…I don't ever want to lose you again…I don't ever want to upset you…I'll do anything…I swear…"

"Oh, God….harder, Sasuke…ahh…!" Naruto hollered, his voice becoming erotically hoarse and staggered as he whined and continued to buck his hips back with unforeseeable force that made my cock slam inside of him, hitting his sensitive prostate every single time that had us both seeing stars behind our eyes.

With lightening-fast movements, I used my own grip on his hands to lift them up a bit higher on the wall as I practically adhered the entire front of my long, lean body to the back of his, effectively pressing the pleasure-drowned kitsune completely up against the wall as I ground my cock deeper and deeper into his ass now that I was so close to him.

My strong, pale arms outstretched as I continued to hold onto his trembling hands, I groaned over and over again into Naruto's ear with such husky bass in my sensual voice as I felt my fiery blonde lover squeeze my pulsating cock relentlessly inside his ass as I kept pushing it into his hot, slick, velvet entrance, as if I was actually trying to make our bodies become one, single entity.

"Sasuke…haa…I love you so much…so much…!" Naruto called out desperately, his voice airy and lovely to my ears before I used a hand and seized Naruto's wrist so I may bring down both of our hands to his neglected, purpling member in between his legs.

Naruto curled his tanned fingers around his own length as I placed my hand on top of his to guide him as the both of us began moving our closed fists up and down the kitsune's dripping, throbbing member in a rushed, eager pace that showed me exactly how lustful I had made Naruto's delicious body with my sex, the sweet, red-hot ministrations to his weeping cock immediately making the fox gasp and moan as he tipped his head back and rested it against my shoulder.

Our other hands still holding onto the shower wall out in front for support, I thumbed the leaking slit of Naruto's member as the blonde pumped himself passionately in his hand, my cock still grinding into his ass and making my own building pleasure becoming positively painful for me to endure any longer as I felt his insides squish with my previous completion with every harsh thrust I made into his entrance in my quest to have us both experience that blissful, forbidden high for a second time this day.

"Nng…Naruto…I'm close," I groaned, resting the side of my head against his own that was still tipped back against my shoulder as I heard his cries become louder and higher in pitch and I knew that Naruto was reaching his limit as well.

Having my hand on his swelling cock join his own in his furious, pleasure-seeking strokes, I felt Naruto's whole body shiver against my own before suddenly feeling his warm, creamy seed splash against my fingers – the kitsune making a fist against the shower wall with his other hand as he screamed my name in the very peak of his mind-numbing, toe-curling pleasure.

"Sasuke…come inside me…right now…I want to feel you," Naruto whined in between his pants for air as he gave his draining member a few, last pumps with his fingers before moving his hand down to cup and gently roll his testicles to prolong his orgasm, his ecstasy while in my embrace and still feeling my thrust wildly inside of him.

Suddenly freeing my hand from the wall, my eyes squeezed shut in extreme concentration and desperation; I placed my fingers on the side of Naruto's neck and jaw and turned the kitsune's sopping blonde head towards my waiting, parted lips.

Naruto crushed his satin-soft lips against mine as I groaned his name into his mouth and finally released long and hard inside of the fox's body; my own body quivering in sporadic, pleasurable shakes as I felt Naruto playfully lick at my lips as I filled his moist entrance with even more of my thick, warm essence that made the blonde shiver and arch softly back against my chest as well.

"Oh my God, Sasuke…you're incredible…"Naruto breathed out to me, still trying to catch his breath as I did not separate our bodies just yet as I lazily dropped both of my dripping, tattooed arms down to my sides and rested my forehead against the back of Naruto's warm, wet shoulder.

"You, too," I replied honestly to the blonde, my muscles feeling like mush inside my skin from the extremely overwhelming and debilitating sex, all while under the warming massage that the shower provided in the process – everything making me feel like I could just crumple down to the bottom of the tub and not think a thing about it.

As I was finally able to breathe easier against that tanned, rugged skin I was still leaning on for support, I suddenly felt long fingers slowly rake through my drenched mane of midnight black hair, effectively pulling the hanging locks out of my face and back, bringing me unbelievable satisfaction as I nuzzled the side of my face even more against Naruto's shoulder in appreciation.

"Sasuke…?" Naruto prompted quietly, his fingers still sifting meticulously through me hair and rendering me absolutely boneless against him as I listened to his soft voice call my name.

"Hmm?" I answered back, my unfocused eyes looking at nothing in particular inside that white shower as I was dreamily entranced by every careful lingering pull of Naruto's fingers through my hair as I was about taken over by a light, peaceful sleep on top of his shoulder.

"I really appreciate everything you said to me," Naruto confessed significantly to me as I blinked my heavy eyes open and immediately understood that Naruto's statement had been in light of his recent psychological problems.

I stayed silent, feeling a bit melancholy as I thought back to an earlier discussion between us about what all the bright, optimistic kitsune had been diagnosed with, things that he has had to overcome and was succeeding in making progress.

"And you know what?" Naruto continued, a smirk evident in his voice as he added cheerfully, positively to my rampant attention as I could feel from his back that his chest had sort of swelled up with pride as he added, "…I think I'm seeing all-new shades of grey anymore."

I blinked, tiny droplets of water falling from my eyelashes as a result, as I took in his initially puzzling words for a moment.

'_...__sensitivity to feelings of abandonment which makes me tend to see things in a 'black and white' perspective...'_

That was what he had told me as part of his symptoms that day, and upon realizing how Naruto's mentioning of how he was now 'seeing grey'…did…did that mean…?

"Naruto?" I questioned the blonde, raising my head from his shoulder and gently urging the fox to turn around so I may see his gorgeous, smiling face…perhaps needing that reassurance that what I had surmised from Naruto's words was true.

Naruto obligingly turned around in his spot to face me, a kind, and thankful smile adorning his lips as he eyed me warmly and said, "The things you say to me…well, they just mean more to me than what any shrink could. I mean, you're the love of my life, Sasuke…and…if I didn't know any better, I'd say that this…what we do and what we say to each other…that…is what's curing me."

I was speechless, my lips parted and my thin, dark eyebrows raised probably making me look ridiculous, as I could hear Naruto's words, words of immense praise and importance, repeating over and over inside my mind.

"Naruto, I…don't know what to say," I admitted sheepishly for the weight inside my chest was too great, too significant and wonderful for me to really concentrate on anything else.

"Say you love me…because I love you, Uchiha Sasuke," Naruto cooed as he softly closed his eyes and smoothly brought up his arms so he may slide his forearms on top of my shoulders and bring us impossibly closer together.

I silently sighed out the air I had been unknowingly holding as I also closed my eyes at his loving, welcome touch, loosely wrapping my own arms around his waist to keep him where he was as our noses touched and our warm breath mixed in between our parted, wet lips.

All at once, thoughts bombarded my conscious, supplemental add-ons to the proclamation of my love to the blonde in my arms that was already hot on my tongue, waiting to be said once at least some sense found its way back to me.

"_I don't deserve you,"_ I mentally regarded saying to the perfect, immaculate fox in my embrace that I loved with all my heart, which only contributed to how much I was absolutely beside myself since he had said that it was none other than me that was helping him through his hardships, _"…you are too beautiful a person to be stuck with someone like me, but damn…I love you so much…so much it kills me, Naruto…but if it really is me that you want, then…"_

"I love you, Naruto…" I said out loud to the kitsune, my words only coming out as subtle breaths that fluttered across his tanned, sun-kissed skin only inches away from my own as I continued, "...and I'm going to be here to help you from now on. I always…want to see you smile."

X

Later that evening…

"_Oh my God…don't vomit, just do not vomit,"_ I mentally pleaded with myself over and over again as I stood as still as a statue and was subjected to a bit of a staring contest between the Fifth Hokage's sharp gaze with my own charcoal-colored one, my nerves positively raging even though I refused to move a muscle, _"…you can do this, Sasuke…you've been through worse, much worse, so just…say what you know you need to say to her and hope like hell that she agrees to the idea…and don't you dare vomit all over this floor, Uchiha Sasuke!"_

"I have come to report that I have found a permanent place to live, Hokage-sama," I stated proudly as Naruto and I stood in front of Lady Tsunade's horribly cluttered desk; her assistant Shizune standing relatively close by with the pet pig in her arms.

My slight anxiety-induced nausea was already starting to subside, but instead I felt jittery and completely on edge, as if I was still regarded as a criminal and had just made some prelude to my plea for my case in front of a judge.

Wise, honey-brown eyes studied my serious face before sweeping over Naruto's unmoving form by my side before the old woman said, "Oh? Go on…"

She sounded skeptical, but I did not let her tone bother me as I forced myself to continue, "Uzumaki Naruto has agreed to let me live with him. We…wanted to clear it with you first, Hokage-sama."

I felt as though I was asking for the world to be handed to me on a silver platter, and I quickly swallowed down the spit that had collected in my throat as my words hung thickly in the air between all of us.

I kept my midnight black eyes glued to her patient but highly analytical face, even as I felt Naruto carefully take hold of my hand nearest him and give my fingers a gentle squeeze, the kitsune knowing that he needed to be quiet and not interrupt such an important moment between Lady Tsunade and I while still trying to offer me some support nonetheless.

I appreciated the gesture and squeezed Naruto's hand in return.

All eyes were on the blonde-haired woman as she sighed thoughtfully and seemed to be licking the front of her teeth as she ran the proposed ideas in her head before locking her keen brown eyes directly on Naruto's gravely calm face.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Naruto?" she asked him good-naturedly as the old woman did, in fact, truly hold the fiery fox close in her heart as he tended to echo the same thoughts and ideals as those whom she had loved and treasured at one time or another.

I gulped at the posed question from Lady Tsunade that basically meant in a hidden undertone of whether or not Naruto wanted me in his life and slowly moved my gaze to watch the side of his stern, handsome face as he had yet to take his eyes off the Fifth Hokage as he replied.

"I'm sure. I wouldn't want him to live anywhere else than with me," Naruto replied with such severity in his voice that I felt a brief bout of sparkling chills run up my spine in accordance.

I knew it was silly, but I felt so relieved, so impossibly happy and saved, upon hearing my bright and brilliant fox say something like that about me, all with his hand tightly holding onto mine.

"Well, I guess I can't really stop you…"Lady Tsunade said in a sort of brushed-off manner before turning her tone deathly serious but with a hint of pure, undaunted satisfaction and happiness for us as she added, "Besides, I'm sure that there it isn't anyone better that I would want the both of you to be with."

I sort of gasped in shock upon hearing such approval, approval given by the Fifth Hokage herself for me to permanently be with one of her most treasured people in the whole village, while Naruto beamed his biggest smile towards the Hokage and said adorably, "Thanks, Grandma Tsunade!"

I had been granted the world after all.

"Yes, yes, now get out of my office, you two; it's messy enough in here!" the old woman shouted in good faith at us, probably wanting for Naruto and I to take our leave rather soon before anything got too emotional and complicated.

I had to say something to her, though; I could not allow myself to receive such a blessing from someone else and not say anything in return.

I simply could not be that kind of person anymore.

"Naruto, could you wait outside for me? I'll be right there," I said evenly to the smiling fox at my side who instantly gave me a knowing look as his smile turned into that of a smirk and an eyebrow was lifted at me pseudo-quizzically.

"Take your time," Naruto replied, understanding my intentions perfectly as I watched him stride out of the grand, circular office and politely close the door behind him.

"What is it, Sasuke?" the Fifth asked me patiently, gaining my avid attention once more as I turned to face her, my lungs drawing in air and I willed myself to draw in strength so I may try to speak with the eloquence that I had never had.

"I just wanted to say th…"I began but was quickly cut off as the blonde-haired woman gave a dismissing wave of her hand and spoke solidly to me.

"You don't need to say anything more, Sasuke. I can see how serious you are about him, and that is enough for me," she explained, making me rethink my whole plan about what it was that I wanted to convey, what my heart needed to spill right this very moment as I knew that this really was my chance to speak with her on a completely different level.

I blinked before dropping my shoulders a little, now knowing exactly what I needed to explain to this important and powerful woman before me, regardless of her attempt to save me from anymore trouble or embarrassment.

"I need to say thank you to you, Lady Hokage," I began in a much more personal voice to the naturally aged but outwardly young-looking woman sitting calmly at her paper-littered desk with her assistant faithfully by her side, "…it's not something I said to a lot of people in the past, so…thank you…for everything."

Lady Tsunade smiled kindly at my honesty, my desire to change and be enlightened about all the things I took for granted and never fully understood until now, as she said coolly, "You are welcome, Sasuke. Consider this…as a sort of gift. I know how hard you've been working since you've been back. I also know that you have been the only thing on Naruto's mind these passed years that I've been the Hokage of the Leaf Village, so I would be foolish to deny what you both have strived so much for."

For a second time since stepping foot inside her office, I breathed easier, genuinely feeling her serious but pleased and approving words wash over me like some sort of splendid, cleansing bath that held just enough power to render me completely humbled and grateful.

Before I could say anything else since I had hesitated upon hearing the old woman confirm her earlier approval of Naruto and I being together in light of both of our accomplishments and feelings towards one another, the blonde-haired Hokage swiftly stood up from her chair, rounded the corner of her desk to approach me, and then extended her green-clad arms out to me.

This time, there was no hesitation at all as I mirrored her gesture and the two of us gave each other a comforting embrace, Lady Tsunade being a little shorter than me as I respectfully reciprocated her hug and warmly squeezed the elderly lady in my arms as she did the same to me.

"Take good care of him, you hear?" she said to me, her voice emotional and thick as she spoke from over my shoulder before politely holding me at arms' length with her manicured hands holding tightly onto my shoulders.

I looked gently into her warm brown eyes, brimming with tears that the stubborn old woman refused to shed before me and her assistant, as I replied, "I will; I promise."

Lady Tsunade hurriedly retracted her hands so she may dab at her briefly lowered eyes before saying in a seemingly regained stern and no-nonsense voice, "I know you will; you haven't let me down yet, Sasuke."

I smirked at her usage of our personal, little understanding comment that the two of us shared as I gave her a sharp nod of my head in return.

Lady Tsunade huffed a bit of air before nodding her head briefly as well, seemingly taking in everything that had transpired and was said between us all before saying, "Good man…now really get out of my office, I have work to do and I think I need a drink first."

I could not help but laugh out loud at her humorous mood swings and craving of alcohol after what had happened, and, with a smile still on my face, I bowed politely to the Hokage of the village before turning on my heel and promptly leaving her office as requested.

I had never felt better in my life.

A few minutes later, I joined Naruto out in front of the Hokage Tower – the blonde kitsune leaning his weight back against the red-painted wall by the concrete steps as he had his arms crossed impatiently over his chest before I arrived at his side.

"So…to Kakashi's place, then?" Naruto piped up curiously, placing confidence right into my blood stream with is energetic smile and good intentions as we stood together on the dirt pathway right in front of the Hokage Tower.

Even though I had originally felt such tension and anxiety prior to speaking about this with the Hokage, it was a completely different feeling when considering doing the same thing in Kakashi's presence, seeking his blessing as well.

Whereas being in front of Lady Tsunade was intense due to the fact that she was the most influential ninja and leader of the entire village, Hatake Kakashi simply meant something else to me…I could not go about speaking about this to him in the same way.

"How about we meet again tomorrow? It is getting late already, so I'll use this time to pack up my things at Kakashi's before seeing you tomorrow," I offered logically as well as with my own reasons behind desiring speaking about this matter with Kakashi alone.

"Aww…alright, I guess," Naruto whined cutely as he frowned those tempting lips of his my way, "…but come over first thing tomorrow, okay?"

"Got it," I replied, my gaze softening as I looked upon the beautiful demon fox vessel with tender, loving eyes and a slight upturn to my lips.

In a single, fluid motion, Naruto's lean, taut frame was pressed up against mine, his nose and lips barely brushing up against my own as he smirked and lightly played with my sensitive flesh.

Easily, I gave myself into our candy-sweet kiss that spoke of our future, promising each other always, as I closed my eyes and felt his precious lips press into my own, kissing me and letting me feel the kitsune's warm breath that instantly made me feel better.

The kiss was simple but loving, and I watched as Naruto dreamily opened his eyes for me as he pulled away and whispered for only me to hear, "I'll be waiting for you."

"…'kay," I replied back to the starry-eyed fox before me, sounding just like an entranced child but with a man's voice as I beheld the blonde smile pleasantly at my plain, airy phrase and expertly dart off into the rooftops overhead in the direction of his quaint apartment…our apartment.

After a second, I literally had to shake my spiky, black head from side to side so I may also set off to accomplish my tasks with a clear conscious and thought processes intact so I at least had a chance of not coming completely apart during this.

The magnificent evening sky above had just given way to a majestic purple hue that had enveloped the earlier pink and orange tones brought about by the subsiding sun, by the time I reached Kakashi's apartment – the very air around me having seemed to become different, a little heavier and crisper, as I twisted the doorknob to the front door as I had done so many times before.

Immediately, my eyes were drawn to the kitchen on the left, where it was brightly illuminated as Kakashi moved about the area, obviously caught up with preparing something, as the living room was also dimly lit by a subtle glow of the tableside lamps.

"I see you're back. How did the mission go?" Kakashi asked in his usual low and somewhat raspy baritone as he continued to rummage around through a few drawers before retrieving some utensils and going back to whatever he had had out on the countertop.

"Um…it went fine," I replied back as I took off my shoes, the feeling that I had just eaten a solid stone brick weighing heavily in my stomach as my important, crucial words were burning hot inside my throat to say to the silver-haired jounin and best caretaker I had ever truly had the pleasure of knowing.

I had only moved another few inches inside the apartment when I heard Kakashi set down the things in his hands with audible clinks against the polished wood before he turned so he may see me from over the bar and said, "Okay, what is it? Is something wrong, Sasuke?"

I swallowed hard again, knowing my eyes displayed my every troubled and melancholy emotion as I tried to dodge his piercing, half-lidded gaze as I trudged gloomily to one of the barstools, sitting on the sturdy, comfortable cushion with a quick shift of my weight.

Now that I was sitting at the bar that looked into the kitchen, I saw that Kakashi was making a very rich-smelling Noppe inside a giant, metal cooking pot that had me watering at the mouth already as I saw all the diced yams, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and chicken cooking diligently together with a creamy, hot broth.

I thought it was extremely fitting how Kakashi had decided to make this stew usually eaten around New Year periods at the exact time that I was to tell him that I would be moving out of his place and in with Naruto as a permanent, meaningful setup.

"That smells really good," I commented somewhat mindlessly as I watched Kakashi give the savory concoction another stir with his large, wooden spoon before turning towards me again, smiling with his mismatched eyes, as he sat down on the opposite barstool – our very positions here at the bar exactly how it had been every day since the very beginning of me being here under his care.

I would cherish it always.

"Doesn't it?" Kakashi sort of praised his own efforts before adding, "I hope you're hungry."

"Yeah, well…I also have something…to…talk to you about," I made myself announce to the infinitely patient and serene man in front of me, whom I reminded myself over and over again that I had known for a long time and who knew me almost better than I knew myself at times…so there was nothing to be afraid of.

He was…my dad, after all.

Kakashi lazily cocked up an eyebrow at me as he kept his masked face forever calm and almost bored as he said, "Alright…out with it, then."

I broke his gaze, feeling tremendous guilt as I intricately observed the honey-colored wooden bar in between us, searching for the right words, any words, that would somewhat make sense and allow me to convey…

"Listen, Sasuke. I want you to know that I fully support you and Naruto being together, and I think you living with him is a good idea. You both need each other," Kakashi said carefully, his inky black and Sharingan eyes still smiling at me with so much understanding that I was rendered completely speechless for a moment.

"How did…?" I began, still in shock before I visibly relaxed my every tightly-strung muscle and returned his lazy smile with one of my own before adding, "Oh, I forgot…dads know everything."

"That's right," Kakashi affirmed positively, cockily as he stood up again so he may tend to his stew, his high spirits and immediate consent to my situation never ceasing to astound me and truly make me grateful…that I had come back to this village and to people like him.

I only watched the silver-haired, masked man spoon out some stew in two, green ceramic bowls for us for a moment more, before suddenly standing up from my seat as well and quickly rounding the edge of the bar so I could enter the kitchen by his side.

Despite Lady Tsunade having to make the first step towards giving me a hug earlier, probably due in large part that it was just a gesture I was not too familiar with or comfortable executing, there was no falter or moment of doubt whatsoever as I quickly wrapped my arms around Kakashi's middle and buried my face in his blue-clothed chest.

"Oh, Sasuke…"Kakashi sort of cooed in a fatherly, sympathetic voice as the slightly taller man wrapped his arms around my shoulder and brought a hand up to the nape of my neck soothingly, "…you know you can always visit. It's not like we're never going to see each other again."

Kakashi did not seemed bothered at all by the small drops of warm tears that were currently soaking into the front of his shirt as he continued to cradle the back of my head with his hand and say comforting, meaningful things to me.

My crying that I had not even been fully aware of was quickly subsiding in favor of me feeling pleasantly drained, like I needed to let all of that out, as I sniffed quietly before saying, "I know…who else could fix all the stuff you break around here?"

I heard Kakashi softly chuckle from above my head before he said with a little more intensity in his voice, "I am going to miss you, but I want you to know that I'm really happy for both you and Naruto. I wish you nothing but the best."

A few more, fresh tears slid down my pale but slightly flushed face as I pulled my head away from Kakashi's chest and looked directly at him, not at all ashamed that he was seeing me as I cried and be emotional right now.

"Thanks, dad," I began heavily with such weight and admiration in my words, "…I really can't…thank you enough. Everyone here has been so kind to me; I still have a hard time wrapping my head around it. And, with you, I just…"

Clearly noticing that my haggard words and thoughts were being choked even more by my difficult, unfamiliar feelings, Kakashi gently pressed my head back to his chest as I felt him give me a soft kiss to the top of my head amidst all the oddly angled spikes of raven's wing hair.

I instantly felt better, breathed easier, and allowed myself to calm down in the older man's warm, strong embrace…and the next words to come out of his mouth thoroughly surprised me to no end.

"I may not have been there when you were born…I may not have seen you take your first steps…and I know I was pretty hard on you in Team Seven, but I want you to know, Sasuke…" Kakashi said thickly as I was practically hanging on every syllable this man said to me as I freed a hand to wipe at my cheeks while still being in his embrace, "…that I really do think of you as my son, and, just like Naruto, I will always be there for you."

As if it had already been mentally agreed upon, the two of us instantly hugged the other man a little tighter, a little more desperately as I was unbelievably grateful for Kakashi's precious words while Kakashi only sought to reassure and soothe me all the more.

Slowly, mindfully, I shied away from Kakashi's embrace, keeping my clothed wrist over my moist eyes as I made myself take slow, calming breaths so I may finally regain some composure and dignity.

Kakashi was polite and patient as he watched me tenderly with a smirk underneath his mask as I sniffed and blinked my rare, powerful eyes dry before meeting his awaiting gaze – our stew steaming happily in their respective bowls for us on the counter at our side.

"I must look like a baby right now," I laughed darkly as I scrubbed the last of the moisture from my face with my sleeve, trying to add a little humor to the situation so Kakashi and I might be obliged to just jab and chuckle all of these emotions away.

"Well…maybe a little," Kakashi commented, equally as sarcastically and good-natured as my comment as we both shared a small bout of laughter as he picked up his bowl of the Noppe and set it down on the bar on his opposite side, prompting me to also grab my piping hot bowl of stew that was to be my dinner.

"Hey, I know…after we eat, I'll help you pack up your things," Kakashi offered as I sat down across the bar from him, my stew out in front of me and providing little curls of white steam to float in between us, as he had already pulled his mask down to his chin and had began eating.

"Oh…okay," I replied, my mind still a little foggy but surprisingly feeling a considerable amount lighter in nature as I focused my attention back on my food, thankful for it, thankful for the man sitting across from me, thankful for a lot of things that were back in my life, "…and um…dad?"

"Yeah?" Kakashi answered coolly, every bit as nonchalantly as he continued eating his hot bowl of stew, so casual that the silver-haired jounin barely looked up from his meal.

I smiled.

"The food tastes great," I said plainly, having taken my first bite of the hearty, tasty stew only after I had complimented it as I knew that my intelligent, wise caretaker and father would instantly pick up on how I meant so much more than just my praise of our dinner, and how I had purposefully said something trite to keep myself from crying any more during our last night together like this.

It really was wonderful having a family again, something I have thought in the past and could not help but consider once more as I secretly admired Kakashi to no end from across that bar as he and I ate in a comfortable, mature silence.

It was simply amazing to me to have people to love and trust again, without a shred of hesitation or doubt or confusion or effort on anyone's part; people that held the power of being able to steal one's breath away just by a few uttered words or gestures.

…people that…made this world not matter anymore because they already comprised one's own sunshine and light, beautiful skies and cleansing, life-giving showers of crystallized rain that made everything sparkle and flourish with renewed vitality in the next day's warming glow.

I think reaching my own, personal breaking point…had been the best thing to ever happen to me.

X

_Author's Note_: Alright, I know this chapter took a few millions years to come out, but the answer is simple: it's because I'm an idiot. You have my apologies lol. I think the next installment shall be the last chapter, so I'll appreciate any reviews, general thoughts, or favorite moments that you might have. Thanks, faithful readers! XD


	7. Chapter 7

"_All that I need is this moment / to send me away with a smile on my face / I tried to leave but I turn back / On my heart remains a trace / All that I seek is this moment /All day in my mind I recreate / if there was a way to get back…"_ – Nic Chagall

Chapter Seven

_**Sasuke's POV**_

_I think reaching my own, personal breaking point…had been the best thing to ever happen to me. _

The next day…

"Is all of this really necessary, Naruto?" I droned on with an exasperated sigh to the smiling, beaming blonde standing at my left, currently picking out multiple kinds of bottled drinks that he and I were to serve our guests later this evening.

"Of course it is!" Naruto reasoned enthusiastically to me as I simply rolled my eyes at his ever-positive antics while somewhat gracelessly shifting the many food items that were occupying my hands and arms, "…they got to have something to drink, right?!"

I had been with the incomprehensibly joyous kitsune since earlier this morning, as promised, and had already settled in and put away my things amongst his own, and now Naruto and I were out shopping for some extra food since he had talked me into throwing a house-warming party in light of my moving in with him.

From what I understood, it was a sort of reunion between us nine rookies from all those years ago, plus a few others that were to make up this party to be held in Naruto's apartment, and even I had to admit to myself that while shopping and preparing for this event was a bit of a pain, I was still looking forward to it.

"Please tell me you are almost done;" I whined again to my blonde, fox counterpart as he shoved multiple, small boxes of beer into his arms, "I'm about to drop this bean dip."

Naruto laughed at my semi-serious joke, turning to me with his arms full, same as me, before saying with a giant smile, "Alright, alright, we got everything we came here for, so let's get back to the apartment and set all this out. Everyone should be arriving pretty soon anyways."

Crap…he's right.

Soon, I would have to literally face the people that I had left all those years ago, those with whom I had shared the same trials and tribulations of becoming a genin and chuunin for the Village Hidden in the Leaves as they all had comprised my foes, my rivals, potential goals, and later…failed rescuers.

In only a few hours' time, I would have to look these people in the eye and deal with whatever response they wanted to bestow upon me.

"…_great,"_ I thought miserably, bashfully as I followed Naruto to the front of the grocery store to pay for all the brightly-packaged food items and varieties of beer that the two of us were carrying, _"…what should I even say to them? Naruto was different, but I'm sure that they all probably hate me. Oh well…Naruto wants this to happen, so I better just go with the flow…damnit."_

X

A few hours later…

It had not taken long for us two, able-bodied shinobi to rearrange the furniture inside Naruto's apartment to better facilitate the ten or so people that we had been expecting, clean up the various areas that had been cluttered with some empty ramen cups, and set out all the sociable food items we had just purchased across the kitchen counters and on the dining room table.

Just as I had finished shoving the last of the glass bottles of beer into the ice-filled cooler for people to pick through as they like, Naruto had opened his front door and was already welcoming in hoards of people that were quickly filling the living room.

"_Alright, it's fine…everything's fine…maybe if I just…"_ my mind began rambling to the rest of me, my nerves finally getting to me a little bit and making me feel somewhat tense and anxious at the pending prospect of perhaps getting into some confrontations…that was, until…

"Sasuke? Uchiha Sasuke!?" came a booming voice from behind me, prompting me to abandon the slender, bottled drink I had just put in the cooler in favor of turning around in my spot to see the person who had just addressed my name rather comically.

Bright, pearly fangs, down-turned red triangles on his cheeks, and a tousled mop of brown hair came into view as Inuzuka Kiba smiled a gigantic smile at me, instantly making me sigh out my tension to see such positivism from one of the guests already.

"Hey, Kiba…" I began coolly, but the leather-clad dog-nin was already on the move to scoop me up into a great hug as he spoke loudly, heartily to me.

"How are you, man?! I haven't seen you like…forever!" Kiba said merrily as he let go of me and took a space-conscious step backwards, his smile never leaving his tanned face as his narrow-slitted pupils studied me politely.

"I'm doing well…living with Naruto now," I confessed awkwardly, the Inuzuka reaching off to a side and grabbing one of the chilled beers from the cooler I was standing next to as he listened to my rather pathetic-sounding words.

"That's cool," he said nonchalantly, twisting off the tiny, metal cap from the beverage, a mish-mash of noise catching my ears from the living room where Naruto and the other guests were still standing around and chatting, having yet to enter the kitchen, "I've been seeing Hinata for a little while...only a few months…oh, man, you need to see her; she looks totally different than she used to!"

"Uh…"escaped me before I only had time to quickly grab a beer for myself before being physically dragged by my arm by a grinning, walking Kiba to the living room to join everyone else.

"Sasuke-kun! It is most excellent to see you again!" Rock Lee shouted from across the room, giving me his painfully typical thumbs-up gesture as I just sort of half-grinned and nodded his way.

"Hello, Sasuke," said a slow, extremely timbered and low voice from my left, making me quickly look that direction as I stopped walking any further into the living room, "I always knew you would come back. How did I know? Because you cannot live without Naruto, isn't that right?"

"Shino," I replied, eyeing the almost totally covered man in front of me who was slightly taller than me and whose icy but truthful words had made me shiver subtly before I could recover and add, "It's good to see you, too."

I smirked as he nodded, this strange, silent understanding already forming between us as I continued to carefully maneuver around the crowded area as only a few people drifted off to the kitchen for snacks and drinks at a time while the rest stayed and chatted with whoever was near.

Finally, I approached Kiba and Hinata, his black-sleeved arm slung suggestively around her small shoulders, as they were busy speaking with Naruto…my beautiful, bright Naruto who could melt glaciers with his smile and move mountains with his words.

God, I loved him so much.

"Hey! We were just talking about you," Naruto piped up upon seeing me approach his sub-group, the kitsune shamelessly hugging me to his side and running his hand up and down my back in a soothing yet possessive gesture.

"Anything I should know about?" I commented light-heartedly, making Kiba laugh out loud and Hinata blush.

"Nothing like that; Naruto just got done telling us that the Fifth is already sending you out on missions and stuff," Kiba provided charmingly before taking another swig of his beer.

"Yeah, she and I…we get along pretty well, actually," I said, referring to Lady Tsunade, clearly remembering our steadfast agreement of not letting the other down, as well as how emotional the old lady had gotten when she had granted me permission to live with Naruto and then gave me one of the most significant hugs I had ever had in my life.

"T-that's good, then…that you a-and Lady Hokage have become close…?" Hinata prompted, stuttering in her usual, timid manner that I had actually forgotten that she did until hearing it again just now.

"Yes, we have," I answered solidly but not harshly to the stammering young lady next to Kiba who had been, in fact, correct in telling me how the Hyuuga heiress did look much different than I remembered.

_Ding-dong._

"Shoot, I need to get that," Naruto chimed suddenly upon hearing his doorbell being rung again; his hand leaving my back as he started to inch away towards his door, "…keep Sasuke company, okay?"

I pseudo-rolled my eyes although I could not hide the fact that I was smiling as Kiba nodded with his mouth full of another swig of his drink as he shooed away Naruto so he could go answer his door.

"N-Naruto-kun seems to care for you a lot, Sasuke-kun," Hinata praised sweetly as she smiled warmly at me, Kiba casting me a look that said 'she's right, you know' as I dropped her pale gaze for a moment, smirking and somewhat embarrassed.

"I know," I said simply before looking off to my left, having slightly heard a strange word from someone else's conversation that had gained my attention before hearing Kiba speak up once more.

"Well, I'm going to get this little lady something to eat," Kiba announced playfully as he started directing Hinata towards the kitchen in the back, "…it was good talking to you, Sasuke!"

After seeing them head towards the brightly-illuminated kitchen that ran adjacently to the open living room, I brought up a hand and habitually ran it through the disorderly black spikes at the back of my head, just bristling the raven locks up and down a few times as I so often did when I was nervous and did not know what else to do.

"Oh man…how troublesome…if I'd have known that the whole village was going to be here, I wouldn't have bothered…"said a smooth, somewhat grumbled voice that sounded of complete and utter boredom and displeasure, but knowing whom it was, I smiled again and lifted my head to seek out the unique voice's owner.

I laughed as I caught sight of Shikamaru yawning theatrically right in front of me, his tired-looking, half-lidded brown eyes blinking slowly at me as a frown formed his mouth once he was done.

"Hey Shikamaru," I greeted, feeling myself grow a little more upbeat and positive with each progressing second now that I was with someone a little more down-to-earth and possibly even more cynical than myself, "…glad you could make it."

"Well, it was either this or nap…and I had just finished taking a nap, so…"Shikamaru offered as he lazily eyed around the room as I chuckled deep inside my chest as his lousy explanation.

"I guess I should tell you that drinks are in the back, and if you need to smoke, you should probably do it outside," I commented coolly, motioning over to the balcony with a quick jab of my thumb towards that direction for the sleepy shadow manipulator.

"I'll keep that in mind. Say, where's the bathroom in this place?" Shikamaru shot right back to me, his ardent uncaring towards everything I had just said to him while he, instead, questioned me about the bathroom about making me laugh my head off as I smiled and perked up my eyebrows at him for a moment.

"…down the hall and to the left," I answered with a laugh, finding it quite impossible to wipe the small smile off my face as I watched him nod his head understandingly as Shikamaru began to step around me, mindful of his increasingly crowded surroundings as he did so.

"Oh, and Sasuke…"Shikamaru halted once at my side, glancing over at me with a keen tilt of his head as I locked eyes with his slanted, half-lidded ones.

"…yeah?" I questioned, sort of sensing the air in between us having stilled for a moment, this moment, as Shikamaru offered me a lazy but truly accepting smile.

"Congratulations," he said simply, meaningfully that immediately made any remaining tension in my shoulders disappear and my previous bout of nervousness cease all at once just from my technically-superior's single word of utmost praise where nothing else need be said between us in that regard for I could already see it in his smile.

"Thank you," I answered firmly, proudly as I watched Shikamaru nod at my reply again before continuing with his original task of seeking out the bathroom, his hands in his pants pockets and his brown, spiky hair from his pony-tail marking his path through the many people also cluttering the room.

Suddenly remembering that I had been holding a freezing beer in my hand all this time, I quickly twisted off the ridged cap from the top, brought the slippery, chilly bottle to my lips, and drank down the smooth, bitter brew it offered in generous amounts.

The salty-sweet taste of the thickly-brewed wheat ale seemed to soothe my soul as I gulped down mouthful after mouthful, practically loving the tangy taste that others might find unsavory or dissatisfying.

However, after everything that had happened to me within the passed few days alone, I drank greedily because I knew I needed it; I needed to relax like this.

Truth be told, I had not drunk any alcohol in a very long time, so it was a self-gratifying action on my part as I easily downed about half of the cold beverage before lowering the slender, brown bottle from my mouth, only now fully realizing that I did, in fact, appreciate that Naruto had even purchased the items for all of us in the first place.

Upon catching my breath from having drank so much, so fast, I slowly brought the bottle back up to my lips to take more measured sips of my beer as I skillfully eyed the people around me, secretly spotting Naruto having gotten into a rather loud debate about something with an equally noisy and obnoxious Kiba, but then saw someone whom I would not mind speaking with.

My beer just about gone in my hand, I gracefully made my way passed Chouji, clapping him hard on the shoulder in a friendly manner as I did, and approached Sakura and Rock Lee whom I knew were a couple these days ever since Sakura had decided to finally give the overzealous but always achieving ninja a chance.

"Sasuke! It's so good to see you!" the pink-haired young lady beamed, a soda in her hand as she gave me a quick hug before returning to Lee's side.

I smirked shyly, possibly even guiltily at the both of them, before asking politely, "How are things going for you?"

"Things are going really well at the hospital and with Lady Tsunade," Sakura informed me good-naturedly, holding her drink with both hands, as Rock Lee smiled a huge smile at me from her side, "…she never shuts up about you and Naruto, you know!"

I laughed shortly before taking another sip of my rapidly vanishing beer and saying, "Jeeze…and what about you, Lee?"

"I have been busy training the fresh, new youth of this village at the Academy when not out on missions;" Lee informed me enthusiastically, so much so that it was able to somewhat rub of on me as I listened to him and finished my beer, "I wish to help them just as Gai-sensei helped me when I was first starting out."

"Wow, that's…really admirable," I confessed, genuinely impressed at the nobility of such a charge to be taken upon oneself, before quickly thinking of another curious question that I just had to ask the thickly-browed, green-clad ninja before me.

"And how's working with Neji been? He's in Anbu now, right?" I asked, instantly seeing Rock Lee drop my gaze as his expression melted into a saddened, more down-hearted one – Sakura clearly placing a hand on her boyfriend's arm before he looked up again and responded.

"Neji…he…has been acting really lonely lately," the taijutsu master explained to me awkwardly before finishing his thought, "…I simply do not know what could be the matter with him."

"Neji doesn't train with us like he used to. I think something might be wrong or that he's upset about something…"Sakura added, both her and Lee's faces showing that of deep concern and confusion about their comrade as they tried to explain to me the best they could about the Hyuuga's recent, unfortunate developments.

"Hmm…" I said aloud, giving it away to Sakura and Lee that their words had succeeded in troubling me, considering how my memories of encountering the long-haired shinobi basically consisted of him acting like he was better than everyone else, and that I was too caught up pondering over this depressing news about the proud and typically haughty Hyuuga Neji.

I could not help but turn to the side and sweep my sharp, coal-black gaze across the crowd in hopes of finding said person – an idea already forming inside my genius but gradually inebriating mind.

…found him.

Neji had his back pressed up against a wall, his white-clad arms crossed defiantly over his chest as he kept his gaze lowered, making his very aura uninterested and disengaged towards the rest of the people and perhaps the world around him.

"See what we mean? Neji is just so…distant anymore," Sakura commented sadly, Rock Lee nodding by her side as I turned my attention back towards them and quickly licked my dry lips before replying – my idea in full swing inside my mind as to what I needed to do about the Hyuuga.

"I'll be right back; I'm going to um…get…another…thing," I said weirdly with a tap of my finger against the side of my empty beer bottle which was I had meant when I had said 'thing' before storming away from the couple and making a beeline straight into the kitchen; my brilliant plan weighing heavily on my mind and being the reason why I had spoken so strangely to the pair.

Like a man on a mission, I hurriedly retraced my path back into the kitchen where I swiped three, chilled beers from the cooler on top of the table before politely pushing past a few people as I approached the sullen, bored-looking Hyuuga off to my left.

Neji barely acknowledged my presence as he only lifted his gaze along with a quizzical eyebrow at me as I held out one of the beers to him, keeping the other two still in my hands.

"Neji," I said as my own form of greeting to the stoic but deadly Hyuuga who blinked coolly at me.

"Sasuke," Neji replied just as simply as my single word to him, seemingly picking up on my little game of speaking curtly with him as he accepted the beer from my hand and lifted his unimpressed gaze to look fully at me rather than slightly at me.

"There's someone I want you to meet," I offered very matter-of-factly as I beckoned Neji away from the wall and to follow me.

Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised to see the long-haired, pale-eyed Hyuuga complying with my suggestion without so much as a fight as he diligently pushed himself off from the wall and began to follow my steps towards another certain person whom I knew was also a bit lonely.

After passing another few people, which about put us at the other end of the quaintly-sized apartment, I stopped and handed Neji another beer that I had been holding for him to give to the person that I wanted him to meet – the Hyuuga taking it from me obligingly as he obviously understood my unspoken meanings behind my actions.

"Sai, I would like you to meet a good friend of mine, Hyuuga Neji," I offered to the lone-standing artist who also held this awkward, chilly atmosphere of complete disinterest and perhaps misunderstanding as I purposefully dodged Neji's comically cynical glare towards me upon my referring to him as my 'good friend.'

I stepped aside as I watched Neji smoothly slip one of the bottles of beer he was holding into Sai's partially-gloved hand and said, "How do you do?"

"How do…you do…Neji-san?" Sai echoed even though his voice was barely a fluttering murmur as he accepted the beer almost listlessly as he visibly became stunned and entranced by the Hyuuga's lovely, crystal-lavender eyes peering right into his own darker onyx ones.

As soon as I saw Neji smile, the Hyuuga, no doubt, feeling quite humbled and pleased that Sai was practically drooling over him right now, I grumbled a half-hearted 'well, I'll see you guys later' before easily leaving the pair to their own devices and beers that I had personally made sure that they both had.

I had still been trying to efficiently maneuver away from the pair I had just introduced to each other when I felt a firm, warm hand on my shoulder, stopping my every movement as I peered into lake-blue eyes and the bright, sunny smile of the person I loved the most.

Naruto's smile lowered into an adorable, knowing smirk as he said, "I saw what you did just now, Sasuke…introducing Sai and Neji. That was very nice of you."

"Yeah, well…see a need, fill a need," I tried to shrug off nonchalantly as Naruto unscrewed the cap of the remaining bottle of beer I had retrieved, of which I all-too hurried brought to my lips and started drinking heavily – the fox grinning broadly at my bashful, praise-dodging antics as he placed a light kiss on my cheek as I continued drinking.

Both of his hands clasped on top of my one shoulder, Naruto kept his face wickedly close to my cheek as he leaned on me and said with cheer in his voice, "I'd say you did…just look at them. You'd think that they were lovers for years!"

"Huh?" I said less than gracefully as I pulled the beer away from my lips and cast the black-haired artist and the pale-eyed Byakugan-user another glance from over my other shoulder.

While the other highly talented and skilled ninja occupying the adjoined rooms did not seem to notice or care as they just continued with their conversations and drinking, Neji had Sai pressed up against the wall, easily overpowering the artist with his somewhat larger frame, as the two men kissed heatedly, licking lips and teeth before crashing into another round of furious, desperate kisses as my obscured view only permitted me to see Sai's black-gloved hands squeeze over and over at Neji's wide, white-clad back.

"Oh my God…" I said before I could stop myself, Naruto and me chuckling quietly as we eyed the two men who appeared to be on the verge of devouring the other right then and there in Naruto's crowded apartment with everyone else around.

"I think you definitely…filled their needs, Sasuke," Naruto laughed again, making me turn to him and encircle my arms loosely around his waist to keep him close while I peered contently into his familiar, deep-blue eyes which held my gaze perfectly – a smile fixed on my face as I just truly cherished this warm, precious moment that, until recently, I had thought would never happen to someone like me.

"Thanks for the party," I said to the tall, handsome blonde in my arms as I kept my hands pressed into the small of his slender, curved back.

Naruto's devastatingly gorgeous eyes seemed to brighten even more as he placed a light, quick kiss to the corner of my mouth and said, "You deserved it."

"Hm…" I purred dreamily, feeling like I was wrapped in some sort of joyous, forgiving blanket as I carefully freed my arms from around Naruto's lithe waist so I may finish my second beer in record time – Naruto just watching me get pleasantly drunk with kindness in his tanned, whiskered features.

Suddenly, I got an idea…one that I did not particularly favor a great deal, but one that I knew that the 'new' me…needed to do before this night was done.

I successfully finished the last of my wheat ale before clearing my throat loudly and began piecing together the first, starting words that I was to say to everyone…words that I had not previously thought of or considered…only this impromptu speech that seemed to roll of my tongue once I began, leaving my mind behind to recollect everything that had already been said and practically set in stone.

Now or never…

"Attention! Can I have everyone's attention for a second?" I said loudly over everyone in the room; the many familiar guests politely finishing up their own conversations before turning towards me to hear what I had to say; some people remained where they had been behind me towards the kitchen, but were attentive nonetheless.

It had only taken a matter of seconds until the whole apartment was deathly silent; all eyes on me as I took a moment to survey my audience and shove down any initial feelings of fear.

The blessed alcohol helped boost my confidence and ease my distress, so I began speaking without any hint of reservation – all of my words completely from the heart, unabashed, and imperative to be said by me…right this moment.

"Those of you who know me, know that I don't really have a solid history for making big speeches like this…but, there are some things that I feel I…need to say," I voiced evenly to the crowd, feeling almost electric as I stood before so many and spoke to them without any preparation, "First, I'd like to thank you all for coming. It really does uh...mean a lot to me and Naruto…to see you all here."

I glanced at the kitsune at my left, drawing strength from his grin and his sparkling, cheerful eyes that told me to keep going, keep voicing exactly what was on my mind and in my heart to these people.

"Also, I just wanted to say…how…very honored I am to be back in this village, here with all of you again," I licked my lips and lowered my gaze for a small second while I considered my next words carefully before continuing, "I realize that not all of us got along in the past…Neji…Lee…but I am really beside myself right now because ever since I came back, I've never been met with a single, distrustful look. Not once have I heard an ill-meaning word, only…things of motivation and acceptance."

"I've already spoken to a lot of you now, and I really can't…explain how it makes me feel to see everyone here smile and talk and joke with me…just like it's something we have been doing every day for these past five years," I confessed almost sorrowfully but with such significant, positive weight in my words that I was quickly being overwhelmed by a glorious sense of becoming cleansed and miraculously lighter as I spoke my thoughts aloud for all to hear.

I swallowed hard before concluding my short but hefty speech, possibly the most important point I was to make with my next words burning hotly inside my mind and making my fingertips feel hollow down at my sides.

"A little while back on a mission, Shikamaru asked me a question," I continued, feeling my throat try to choke up on me and skew my words with my releasing, unavoidable emotion from speaking so largely about something so personal, "…he asked me…if what I had done was worth it. At the time…I said 'I don't know.'"

"Well, Shikamaru," I perked up a little, smirking as I found him out amongst the attentive, caring crowd and locked knowing eyes with his, "…I want to change my answer. Living with Kakashi…taught me something. Being readily accepted without question or consequence by Naruto…has taught me something. Being with all of you again today…has taught me something – and that is…another family was here waiting for me…all along."

"So…no, it wasn't worth it," I confessed, leaving my true meaning rather ambiguous but purposefully so as I knew that there would not be a single person in this house right now that would not know what it was that I was referring to, "…if I had known then what I know now…I never would have left, and I just…wanted everyone here to know that."

I swallowed down the spit that had collected uncomfortably in the back of my throat as I lowered my gaze, signaling that I was done speaking – all was completely quiet for a brief, agonizing moment before a sudden eruption of sound filled the room and brightened my spirits.

Slowly at first but quickly picking up in confidence, the whole room exploded into a roar of applause and cheers, the faces of all my fellow Leaf shinobi and personal friends overjoyed with wonderful smiles and even some with tears in their eyes as they clapped in appreciation while I looked over each and every one of them, my very soul feeling genuinely touched at such a reaction from all of them.

I smiled as my eyebrows rose at the positively heart-warming sight of Rock Lee punching the air above his head and cheering loudly for me, Neji and Sai standing intimately close to each other and applauding maturely, Sakura dabbing at her eyes with the back of her hand, and Kiba roaring words of praise over everyone's heads while Hinata smiled and clapped quietly by his side.

My bright, glowing smile could not help but grow as I looked over everyone as a whole once more, my eyes starting to moisten at the corners, before I quickly turned to face my pleased, radiant kitsune at my side who immediately threw his long, toned arms around my neck and squeezed me in a great, strong embrace that clearly spoke to me 'I'm so proud of you.'

_Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss...!_

Naruto laughed, his face flushing a light shade of pink as he briefly buried his nose against my collarbone and murmured a few inaudible words, as the guests quickly but good-naturedly turned their cheers and shouts into the single, chanting word directed at the both of us.

I had chuckled lowly as well, embarrassed by the wicked provocation by the masses, but as soon as the blonde fox lifted his spiky head from my chest, I smoothly brought my face down to his and captured his soft, tempting lips with my own.

The room positively boomed with calls and ovation as I wrapped my arms around Naruto's back and hugged his slighter, shorter body to my more powerful frame to deepen our kiss, make it even more passionate, as even the loudest of cheers became totally lost on me since I could only focus my whole world on my sweet, breath-taking lover in my arms, kissing me so desperately.

Gently, I pulled my lips away from Naruto's own petal-soft mouth, ending our simple but candy-sweet kiss, smiling and a little out of breath as I did so, and immediately rested my forehead against his as we both still clung to each other – the general noise and goings-on inside the apartment starting to make their way back into our love-struck and completely hopeless senses.

Suddenly, Naruto and I were swarmed with the smiling, joyful people that had waited until our kiss had ended, all of them patting me on the back and kindly expressing their reactions to my speech as I tried to take in as much as I possibly could…having never been favored like this in my entire life, it was almost surreal as it was positively amazing.

"I always knew you had it in you, you sly dog!" Kiba grinned wolfishly at me, giving my shoulder a good smacking which almost made me stagger from such force.

"I am so happy for you and Naruto-kun!" Rock Lee yelled with tears in his eyes, making me chuckle light-heartedly as I listened to him and watched him make a determined fist in between us, "...you two deserve nothing but the best during your springtime of youth!!!"

Then, even though I did not recognize it was happening at all as I was too caught up in hearing what everyone had to say in practically a jumble of sound with a never-ending smile on my face from receiving so much concentrated love and support, warm tears started to fall from my sparkling, black eyes.

A hand quickly, roughly ruffled my hair from behind, and I laughed again in my throat before seeing Neji slightly bow his head toward me, a charming grin on his features as Sai was still by his side and grasping onto one of his arms with both of his hands.

"Sasuke, I…never hated you," Neji confessed solemnly, keeping his gaze on mine soft and understanding as he was probably conscientious of my unknown tears moving down my cheeks, "…so, this might be well overdue, but…welcome back…friend."

I watched as the long-haired shinobi extended his pale, free hand out to me, of which I gladly accepted in a firm hold and shook in earnest, treasuring how Neji had specifically referred to me as his friend like I had done when introducing him to Sai but in a much less serious manner.

"Thank you," I said, genuinely pleased when I saw both Neji and Sai smile once the Hyuuga and I shook hands and naturedly parted, the sheet-white artist still clinging onto Neji's arm and grinning the whole time while he and I had exchanged polite words.

"You're welcome," Neji said in good faith with another reaffirming nod of his head before both of us looked over to the same side, seeing someone else particularly important to me approaching, "…looks like you've got another one."

I smirked at Neji's comment before fully facing Nara Shikamaru, his hands in his pockets and his features surprisingly grinning at me as we stood in front of the other, me waiting for whatever the deer-raising, shogi-playing genius had to say to me, knowing that I had addressed him personally in my dialogue.

"That was some speech…I guess it's a good thing I didn't take that second nap after all…"the shadow-user said in his usual monotone voice even though his words intrigued me to no end, "…I'm glad you changed your mind, Sasuke."

"Yeah, me too," I replied, my smile having faded to a comfortable up-turn of my lips as I studied the lazy ninja before me as he brought up a hand and scratched at the back of his brown head for a moment before casting his equally dark-brown, half-lidded eyes back on me.

"At any rate, don't get too drunk tonight; you know we have a mission tomorrow, right?" Shikamaru prompted with a quirk of an eyebrow towards me even though his tone of voice simply did not possess the strictness that his words tried to convey.

I smiled, knowing that it was just not in the squad leader's nature to succumb to things easily and really let on as to how he was feeling – something of which I could relate all-too well.

I blinked amusedly at my superior's deliberate change of subject before saying with a small chuckle, "Yes, of course."

"Jeeze, and will you dry your eyes already?" Shikamaru semi-scolded, semi-complained as he quickly stepped closer to me and gently swiped the end of his long, black sleeve across each of my cheeks, absorbing the few lines of salty tears that I had not even known were there, "…you look like my dad after my mom just got done grilling him about something."

I laughed out loud at Shikamaru's humorous, sarcastic jab before blindly wrapping my arms around the tall, bored-looking shinobi's shoulders in a meaningful, grateful embrace.

I felt Shikamaru sort of pout in that odd, theatrical way that he does before the squad leader and possibly one of the most level-headed people I had ever known timidly brought a single hand to my back and gave it a good, few pats of comfort and mutual friendship.

The hug did not last long as I only sought out to give a quick squeeze of appreciation to the shadow-user before easily taking a step back from him and retracting my arms from around his shoulders – the Nara looking a bit touched and shy underneath his uncaring façade.

"Thanks for...I don't know…putting things into perspective for me," I voiced somewhat awkwardly, not even knowing if what I had just said made any kind of sense at all to him.

"I didn't do anything…I was only curious is all," Shikamaru answered coolly, a smirk forming on his tanned features as he began to turn away from me, "…troublesome…I need a smoke…"

I watched him stalk off to Naruto's balcony as I had so advised him earlier, but my soundless, reflective moment was cut short as the kitsune suddenly came rushing up to my side and slid his hand into one of mine, our fingers seeming to naturedly want to be a part of the other's hand as they intertwined.

"I can see that you respect Shikamaru a lot," Naruto commented, smiling at me and prompting me to look his way and lighten my features in response to such beauty and radiance directed towards me.

"…yeah…"I whispered, not really thinking about what Naruto had just said to me as just peering into his powerful, gorgeous gaze and feeling his hand tightly hold onto mine was proving to register as far more important and entrancing.

Pulling on his hand that I held captive in my own, I brought the sexy, smirking blonde closer to me as we lightly pressed our chests together, familiar, knowing eyes locked with one another in a kind but promising gaze, as we interlaced our other hands together as well, just holding each other close while we shared a time-frozen, penetrating moment where nothing else mattered since we had finally rightfully attained that which we had desired most.

Happiness, acceptance, love, and the man in each of our arms, Naruto and I knew that from this day forward, he and I were to be a family where all the pieces could finally fit together.

This feeling of change, of ultimate, inevitable change, no longer frightened me like it used to, for as I merely held Naruto's dreamy, bright gaze with my own in complete silence between us, I knew…that whatever we were to face, we would not have to do it alone.

Not anymore.

Simply spectacular, knowing that all of my previous pain, all of my strife, my eventual breaking point where I truly thought I had lost something irreplaceably inside myself…all of it was to create this very moment where I could just plainly see the love Naruto had for me in his eyes, in the way he held onto me, and offered me every kind of smile and affectionate gesture possible.

"I love you, Dobe," I said to Naruto, my old nickname for the fox just slipping out my mouth before I could even try to think twice.

However, Naruto…seemed to brighten that much more due to my sudden nostalgic recollection.

"I love you, too, Teme," he answered sweetly, purposefully using his old nickname for me and it was then that I understood why Naruto had visibly perked up upon my calling him dobe – I felt my spirits lift and soar, my heart thud a little harder against my ribs as I was suddenly reminded of so many things…so many timeless, invaluable things that I would treasure always.

I could no longer afford…to be that person who shamelessly took things for granted, received practically saint-like blessings from people I had wronged and did nothing in return…not when I had someone as pure and miraculous as Naruto in my arms, reciprocating my complicated love for all it was worth.

I knew the fiery blonde understood all of my deeply-set and newly-rectified feelings, though, despite them never have actually been voiced aloud between us…I just knew that since I had thought of them so much and so intensely, Naruto had heard them all perfectly well.

X

_Author's Note_: Oh, man…it's finally DONE! Gah! I'm quite certain that the process of writing this story has undoubtedly taken years off my life, so I do hope that you feel obliged to whip up a little review, yes? Thanks a bunch, readers!!


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